Richard 111

[Scylax]

University of Leicester hoping to prove that the remains found are those of Richard 111, by comparing DNA with that of a known relative. Surely, in the last analysis, we are all related DNA-wise to King Richard ? Just a thought....

[sir.prize]

Well his DNA will definitely match Quasimodo and Humpty Dumpty.

[boxtops]

We're quite remote though, I imagine they take DNA from someone more closely related!

[pastafreak]

Not necessarily so-it's been proven that the painting said to be the best likeness was doctored to make it look like he had a hump.

[bert_h]

Richard III lived approximately 18 generations ago. Conservatively, that means that a quarter of a million of us are his direct descendants. That's about 1 in 200. It's just possible that each of those descendants' DNA is distinct in some way from the other 199 of the population who aren't.

[Mattk]

There will be particular part of his family DNA strain that remains a constant.

[humbersloop]

this seems to be how they've done it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/dec/08/genetic-test-dna-richard-3-skeleton

[jake-the-peg]

Yes as the article says this is being done on a mitochondrial DNA match.

Every cell in your body has thousands of little "sub cells" called mitochondria in it - they convert energy for the cell to use.

It's believed these were once seperate life formsthat "invaded" the cell a billion years ago.

Crucially they have their own DNA which is different from the nucleus' DNA and they reproduce asexually - that is they just split.

So your mitochondrial DNA is nearly identical to your mothers and grandmothers etc. but has nothing to do with your fathers'

If you can find two people with a common female relative their mitochrondrial DNA will be much more similar than their nuclear DNA as it is unpolluted by sexual reproduction

[humbersloop]

^ so my mitochondria are different from my midi-chloria then jake? ;)

[Scylax]

Fair comment all of the above, The Creationists who believe the literal word of the bible would maintain that we are all direct, or indirect, descendants of Adam and Eve, I personally don't believe a word of it per se, but if anyone traces his/her family tree back say 20 generations the family links would not surprise me if Richard 111 appeared on some distant branch.

If the exhumed skeleton is proved to be Richard, it will solve the question of his reputed scoliosis, poor old soul. Was Shakespeare right? Watch this space.....

[jake-the-peg]

I would be surprised

We are used to easy movement about the country now but that's only about the last 150 years

Prior to that we tended to stay fairly localised unless we were caught up in wars

[NOX]

Well since there are at least 250,000 descendants of Edward III ( Richard's ancestor) there are an awful lot of people distantly related but since he had no direct descendants that we know of ( although he had at least 2 bastard children that he recognised and likely a few more that he didn't) it's conceivable that somewhere there might be someone who ought to be King of England ;-)

[NOX]

Yes I know about bastardy and inheritance before any other historians jump on me- just a shame the Tudor's didn't ;-)

[keenonhist]

According to the BBC news this morning,the skeleton found has been confirmed as the skeleton of king Richard111.The question now is where to inter him.
keenonhist