Scientists from the USA and Europe deciphered the DNA sequence for the first time using strands of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair. Analysis showed that the composer may have been killed by alcohol, and they also found traces of betrayal in Beethoven’s family tree. Research published in the journal current biology.
The composer began to lose his hearing at the age of about 20 and suffered from stomach and intestinal disorders throughout his adult life. In the summer of 1821, Beethoven suffered the first of at least two bouts of jaundice, a symptom of liver disease. Cirrhosis has long been considered the most likely cause of death at the age of 56.
The team verified a total of eight hair samples from public and private collections in Europe and the USA. Five of them actually belonged to the composer, and scientists isolated DNA from them for analysis.
Geneticists have not been able to find the exact cause of Beethoven’s deafness or gastrointestinal problems. However, they found a number of important genetic risk factors for liver disease. In addition, they found signs of Beethoven’s infection with the hepatitis B virus. It is also known from his “speech notebooks”, texts in which the composer communicated with others, that he regularly consumed alcohol, although it was difficult. Estimate the volume of consumption.
Alcohol use combined with genetic risk factors may be the underlying cause of cirrhosis. The research team also suggests that Beethoven’s hepatitis B infection may have exacerbated the disease. However, the exact time of infection is unknown, so no conclusions can be drawn about the effect of infection. As for the gut symptoms the composer suffered from, they were almost certainly not related to lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease.
Scientists have not found a clear genetic cause of hearing loss. Hair analysis confirmed lead poisoning, which could be the cause of health complaints, including hearing loss. The researchers note that previous analyzes suggesting that Beethoven suffered from lead poisoning were based on a non-Beethoven specimen. Moreover, her hair was female.
The team also studied the genetics of Beethoven’s relatives living in Belgium, but found no Y chromosome matches in any of them. Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that at least once in the Beethoven family an illegitimate child was born by the father.
“Through a combination of DNA data and archival documents, we were able to observe a discrepancy between Ludwig van Beethoven’s legal and biological pedigree,” the scientists write.
The study was led by scientists from the University of Cambridge, Beethoven Center San Jose, University of Leuven, FamilyTreeDNA, University of Bonn, Beethoven House Bonn and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.