Mystery Over Copernicus' Remains Nears End

Scientists Say They Have Identified 16th-Century Polish Astronomer's Bones

(AP)  Researchers said Thursday they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer's books.

The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and astronomer whose theories identified the Sun, not the Earth, as the center of the universe.

Polish archaeologist Jerzy Gassowski told a news conference that forensic facial reconstruction of the skull that his team found in 2005 buried in a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Frombork, Poland, bears striking resemblance to existing portraits of Copernicus.

The reconstruction shows a broken nose and other features that resemble a self-portrait of Copernicus, and the skull bears a cut mark above the left eye that corresponds with a scar shown in the painting.

Moreover, the skull belonged to a man aged around 70 - Copernicus's age when he died in 1543.

In addition, Swedish genetics expert Marie Allen found that DNA from a tooth and femur bone matched that taken from two hairs retrieved from a book that the 16th-century Polish astronomer owned, which is kept at a library of Sweden's Uppsala University where Allen works.

Gassowski is head of the Archaeology and Anthropology Institute in Pultusk, in central Poland, and Allen works at the Rudbeck Laboratory of the Genetics and Pathology Department of Uppsala University.

Copernicus was known to have been buried in the 14th-century Frombork Cathedral where he served as a canon, but his grave was not marked. The bones found by Gassowski were located under floor tiles near one of the altars.

Gassowski's team started his search in 2004, on request from regional Catholic bishop, Jacek Jezierski.

Copernicus is believed to have come up with his main idea of the Sun at the center of the universe between 1508 and 1514, and during those years wrote a manuscript commonly known as Commentariolus (Little Commentary).

His final thesis was only published, however, in the year of his death. His ideas challenged the Bible, the church and past theories, and they had important consequences for future thinkers, including Galileo, Descartes and Newton.

[farmerbb]

Poland may be a small country, but they do have a number of people of whom they can be very proud. Copernicus and Chopin, to name but two. They made the world a better place.

[a100mike]

It is my understanding that Copernicus was not a priest. He was a church official known as a Cannon, but not a priest.

[downsteamjim]

He looks like Michael Jackson.

[smurfcrusher]

Copernicus is awesome. He was no fool - he made the world think and denied religious zealots the pleasure of burning him at the stake for his heretical (and correct) beliefs.

[sgtkrusty]

And....this is important how?

[catwrites-2009]

Copernicus should hold a place of respect in the mind of any thinking person today. he took a stand based on facts he was able to observe, when it was unpopular to observe anything anti church (per their perception) i just find it amazing and hold a fond thought for him and others who were real forward thinkers of their time.

i have an error w/ the article - at the bottom it claims that Copernicus challenged the bible, which he did not. In Pslams and Proverbs it speaks of the earth being a ball with a stick through it, and it discusses the vastness of the sky in the heavens, and the stability of the sun, and movement of the earth.

beyond that lil bit,

[catwrites-2009]

Copernicus should hold a place of respect in the mind of any thinking person today. he took a stand based on facts he was able to observe, when it was unpopular to observe anything anti church (per their perception) i just find it amazing and hold a fond thought for him and others who were real forward thinkers of their time.

i have an error w/ the article - at the bottom it claims that Copernicus challenged the bible, which he did not. In Pslams and Proverbs it speaks of the earth being a ball with a stick through it, and it discusses the vastness of the sky in the heavens, and the stability of the sun, and movement of the earth.

beyond that lil bit,

[johnlloydsch]

They got it all wrong anyway. Nikky''s paternal uncle married his maternal aunt producing his cousin Fred. This is cousin Freddy, my 20Xgreat grandfather on my father''s mother''s side.

Some day they will have science editors who will not assume all DNA tests are the same.