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HACKED, stripped, slung over a horse and stabbed in the bottom. History tells us that Richard III 鈥� the last English king to die in battle 鈥� met an especially bloody end. Now we may have a body to go with the stories.
At a press conference on Monday a team from the University of Leicester, UK, announced that a body found last year beneath a car park is that of Richard III. As well as the expected wounds, the skeleton shows signs of scoliosis, a disease that curves the spine, which fits with accounts of the 鈥渉unchback鈥� king. Not only that, DNA evidence from two living maternal descendants of Richard鈥檚 sister Anne is said to match that of the skeleton.
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Geneticist of the University of Leicester matched traces of mitochondrial DNA extracted from the skeleton with samples taken from both relatives. She was only able to sequence the mitochondrial DNA control region before the announcement was made. But this region mutates easily, so finding a match despite the high chance of mutation is a strong indicator that individuals are related. 鈥淎s a scientist I would have preferred to finish the analysis,鈥� says King. 鈥淏ut I know the answer isn鈥檛 going to change.鈥�
at University College London points out that people can have matching mitochondrial DNA by chance. 鈥淚 could have the same mitochondrial DNA as Richard III and not be related to him,鈥� he says. But taken together the evidence adds up to a more convincing case, he says.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淢y kingdom for a hearse鈥�