Scientists weigh in as Christopher Columbus' heritage is brought into doubt with shocking new evidence

Scientists have raised doubts about a new documentary that made new claims about Christopher Columbus' ethnic background.

The previously widely accepted theory was that Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451, to a family of wool weavers.

But a new documentary, which aired Saturday, claimed that a new DNA analysis confirmed the explorer was a Spanish Jew.

While the discovery would rewrite history, independent experts say they remain skeptical until the work is published with verifiable data.

The new DNA analysis claims to have been the result of a 22-year investigation that analyzed Columbus' genetics with those of his known relatives and descendants.

It was based on research on 500-year-old remains of an unidentified person housed inside a tomb buried in Spain 's Seville Cathedral, which the new analysis also determined belonged to Columbus.

Historical records show that Columbus was born Cristoforo Colombo to Susanna Fontanarossa and Domenico Colombo who lived in Genoa at the time, which had led the world to believe he was of Italian heritage.

However, Columbus' son, Ferdinand Columbus, also made written statements that his father had wished to keep his true origins a mystery and the recent DNA analysis could prove why.

The study was led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente who released the findings in a documentary titled 'Columbus DNA: The True Origin' on Spain's national broadcaster TVE on Saturday.

'We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,' Lorente said in the program.

'And both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.'

Scientists have previously speculated that the explorer was likely born in western Europe, possibly in the city of Valencia in Spain.

One defender of the Valencia theory, architect Francesc Albardaner, told Lorente in the documentary that Columbus paraded as a Christian due the religious environment in Spain at the time.

In the 1500s, the Jewish population was decimated by a decree that forced them to convert to Christianity or be forced to leave the country.

And at least 30 percent chose to become Christians rather than flee their homes. 

But geneticist Antonio Alonso, former chief of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, told El Pais that he was not convinced.

'Unfortunately, from the scientific point of view, no assessment can be made after watching the documentary, since it does not provide any data on what has been analyzed,' Alonso said.

'My conclusion is that the documentary does not show the DNA of Columbus at any given moment and scientists do not know what analysis has been undertaken.'

The documentary begins in 2003, when Lorente and his team were granted permission to open a tomb in Seville, Spain that had long been believed to hold the remains of Christopher Columbus and those of his son.

On Thursday, Lorente announced that their two-decade investigation proved the bone fragments belonged to the explorer.

While scientists are not questioning who the remains belonged to, they are doubting the authenticity of the research.

Forensic anthropologist Miguel Botella previously analyzed the bone fragments in 2003, spending six days studying them with laser scanners only to conclude there was not enough to perform a proper DNA analysis.

Ángel Carracedo from the University of Santiago de Compostela also looked at the bone fragments, saying they DNA was tremendously degraded.

But Lorente said in the documentary that he and his team 'have very partial DNA of Christopher Columbus, but it is enough, and we have DNA of Hernando Columbus, who is confirmed to be his son.

'What is very important in your theory is that both in the Y chromosome [inherited from the father] and in the mitochondrial DNA [inherited from the mother] of Hernando there are traits compatible with a Jewish origin,' he continued. 

DailyMail.com has contacted Lorente for comment. 

While the new DNA analysis calls into question Columbus' ancestral origins, Alonso said the research can not overturn the notion that the explorer was born in Italy.

'In any case, having a genealogy, a haplogroup or a haplotype of Jewish or Sephardic ancestry does not call into question Columbus’ birthplace in Genoa as stated by historical sources, nor does it tell us anything about the religious beliefs professed by the generations of relatives close to Columbus,' he said.

Columbus set sail on August 3, 1492, from the Spanish port of Palos with hopes of finding a route to the fabled riches of Asia. 

Along with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, Columbus and roughly 100 men embarked on the journey that took them to the opposite side of the world – and far from their original destination.

On October 12, 1492, the ships made landfall in what is now the Bahamas and later in the month, Columbus spotted Cuba and thought it was mainland China.

On the second voyage in 1493, Columbus intentionally sailed back to the New World and landed in Puerto Rico where he enslaved many of the Taino people native to the island - some of which were sent back to Spain. 

Many Spanish came over the next four years, resulting in the death of about seven million Taino - 85 percent of the population.