Hitler’s DNA points to a rare disorder that can cause “micropenis”
Genetic analysis of blood from Hitler’s suicide sofa suggests he may have had Kallmann syndrome, a condition linked to underdeveloped genitalia and hormonal imbalances.
The revelations about the German dictator’s genetics feature in a forthcoming documentary Hitler’s DNA: A Dictator’s Masterplan, from UK broadcaster Channel 4.
Central to the claims is a sample of genetic material taken from a blood-stained fabric sample cut from the sofa where Hitler died in a Berlin bunker in 1945.
Researchers authenticated the DNA by matching it to a living male-line relative.
Led by Professor Turi King of the University of Bath – the geneticist who previously identified the remains of Richard III – the team sequenced Hitler’s genome, uncovering a mutation of the PROK2 gene associated with Kallmann syndrome, a condition that prevents normal puberty.
Symptoms can include undescended testes, low testosterone, and in some cases a micropenis.
Professor Jorma Toppari of Turku University, Finland told the program: “Ten per cent of kids with this kind of mutation might have a small penis, a micropenis. A much more common feature would be that the testes don’t descend normally to the scrotum.”
The finding aligns with a 1923 medical record suggesting Hitler had an undescended testicle, lending new credence to the long-sung playground rhyme: “Hitler has only got one ball, the other is in the Albert Hall.”
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The researchers also used polygenic risk scoring to explore genetic susceptibility to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental traits.
The results placed the German dictator in the top percentile for risk markers linked to autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and ADHD - although King stressed that this did not amount to a diagnosis.
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