To what extent are exceptional human achievements influenced by genetic factors? This question, dating back to the early days of human genetics, seems to be easier to address today as modern molecular methods make it possible to analyze DNA of individuals throughout history. But how reliable are the answers in this day and age?

With this in mind, an international team of researchers including the Max Planck Institutes for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and for Psycholinguistics (MPI-PL) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, analyzed Ludwig van Beethoven’s DNA to investigate his genetic “musical” predisposition.

The team analyzed DNA sequences available from an earlier study completed in 2023, in which the composer’s genetic material was extracted from strands of his hair. “We calculated a so-called ‘polygenic score’—an indicator for an individual’s genetic predisposition for a trait or behavior—for beat synchronization ability, which is closely related to musicality,” explains first author Laura Wesseldijk of the MPIEA.

“Before running any analysis, we preregistered the study, and emphasized that we had no prior expectation about what Beethoven would score. Instead, our aim was to use this as an example of the challenges of making genetic predictions for an individual that lived over 200 years ago.”

The results of the study were recently published in the journal Current Biology. Interestingly, Beethoven, one of the most celebrated musicians in history, had an unremarkable polygenic score for general musicality compared to population samples from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and Vanderbilt University, U.S.

You can read the details in an article by Ina Wittmann of the Max Planck Society at: bit.ly/4csinqV