Did Richard III actually have a hunchback? Was Adolf Hitler really Jewish? For years, these ideas have persisted. Now, thanks to the work of geneticist Professor Turi King, Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, we know that both are tall tales.
King blends history with genealogy, analysing the genetic codes of famed figures of the past with the aim to uncover inherited traits from samples of their DNA. Last month, she made headlines for her work on Adolf Hitler’s DNA. King and her team’s findings, which were aired in the Channel 4 documentary, Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator, caused a media storm and considerable backlash.
But what was the actual process of uncovering the genetic traits of Hitler? And how do we know the sample was his? “The provenance of this particular sample is from President Eisenhower’s public information officer, Colonel Roswell Rosengren,” explains King. “He was one of the only people allowed to go into Hitler’s bunker after he killed himself, and took a cutting of a blood stained sofa in the room.”
By analysing an extremely rare type of Y chromosome found in Hitler’s family, King was able to deduce this was almost certainly a sample of the dictator’s DNA. Once it had been verified, they moved on to inspecting the entire genome, reading what they found in dialogue with documented historic accounts.
This involved using polygenic scores — a genetic process used to rate the likelihood of certain conditions through aggregating genetic variants associated with traits or diseases. “We didn’t have a clue what we were going to find,” says King. “I was asking myself, what if the results were really boring?” Fortunately, the findings were anything but.
One of the main takeaways was that Hitler had a genetic predisposition to neurological conditions including autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The sample also debunked his rumoured Jewish heritage. Another finding was a possibility he suffered from Kallmann Syndrome, a deficiency of testosterone that for many confirmed the rumour that Hitler was not well endowed — and only had one testicle. King wants to make clear that neither of these are a certainty: “Hitler comes in as being in the top one per cent predisposed to these conditions. We took serious care in putting guardrails in our presentation of the results.”
Despite emphasising this, certain parties took umbrage with the study. The National Autistic Society was particularly aggrieved with the apparently damaging connotations the documentary made. Tim Nicholls, Assistant Director of Policy, Research and Strategy for the NSA, argued the results relied on “shoddy science… We’re shocked at their callous disregard for autistic people’s feelings. Autistic people, along with other disabled people, were specifically targeted and murdered by the Nazis.”
The response puzzled King, who suggests they may not have watched the documentary, saying, “I thought it was a bit premature and unscientific in its process.” King also found some of the reporting of the story disappointing. Certain corners of the media went for clickbait headlines like “Hitler had a micropenis?”. This simplified and reduced the science behind the study, which is currently being peer reviewed by The Lancet.
In the end, King’s findings puncture the myth that we are fated by our genetics. Of course, DNA is important, but it can’t account for the pressures and choices that shape a life. “Genetics interact with your environment,” she says. “Hitler didn’t act alone; there were hundreds of thousands who enabled him.”
