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Spanish researchers set out on Wednesday to settle the dispute over the true origins of Christopher Columbus after various theories in the past decades claimed the explorer hailed from Portugal or Spain, rather than Italy, as most scholars agree.
"There is no doubt on our part (about his Italian origin), but we can provide objective data that can ... close a series of existing theories," Jose Antonio Lorente, lead scientist of the DNA study at the University of Granada, told a video news conference.
Historians believe Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451.
The university hosted a meeting of proponents of alternative theories about Columbus' birthplace, that include Spain's Valencia, Espinosa de Henares, Galicia and Mallorca, Portugal's Alentejo region and a few other places.
The results of the final stage of DNA research on tiny samples of what scientists believe are the remains of Columbus, his son Fernando and his brother Diego, will be analysed independently by laboratories in Europe and the Americas, and should be published in October.
The first samples were collected in 2004-2005 and the DNA analysis will now resume after a 16-year hiatus due to technology challenges, which meant too much of the precious sample material would be wasted in exchange for too little data.
"Our team agreed on an ethical approach ... wait for a technological development that has now happened," said Lorente.
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