12 Dramatic Stories We Have Thanks to DNA
![12 Dramatic Stories We Have Thanks to DNA](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/4/9/892849_320x180.jpg)
Ah, the mysteries of DNA. For centuries, we have been trying to unlock the secrets of our ancestors, and with each new discovery, we are able to uncover a little bit more about who we are and where we come from.
From Cheddar Man and his dark skin, blue eyes, and dark hair, to the Golden State Killer identified using DNA search technology, to a couple who found out after 38 years of marriage that they were third cousins, to the discovery of a mistake in the royal family tree, to the finding that 10 men other than Genghis Khan had descendants still around today, to the study that suggests Adolf Hitler may have had Jewish and African ancestors, to the discovery that Neanderthal DNA helped our ancestors be more resistant to illnesses, the power of DNA has been revealed in many fascinating ways. In this list, we explore ten of the most incredible DNA stories that have captured the attention of the world. So, without further ado, let's dive in and explore the wonders of DNA.
No more penis spines.
![CRACKED FINDING OUT OUR DONGS USED TO BE SPINY DNA testing showed that human penises had spines but lost them a long time ago, before humans and Neanderthals went their separate ways about 700,000 years back. We await the explosion of novel furry porn this discovery will surely produce.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/1/892581.jpg)
Neanderthals: causing allergies?
![CRACKED DISCOVERING OUR ALLERGIES MIGHT COME FROM NEANDERTHALS Two 2015 studies showed that some people are more likely to have hay fever and other allergies due to genes they inherited from Neanderthals. This suggests that Neanderthal DNA helped our ancestors to be more resistant to illnesses.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/2/892582.jpg)
Surprising, yet not.
![CRACKED FINDING OUT PEOPLE FROM THE AMAZON AND FROM AUSTRALIA ARE RELATED A 2015 genetic study showed that the Suruí and Karitiana people of the Amazon have a connection to indigenous Australians and New Guineans. So two different groups of people must have moved from Australia and New Guinea to the Americas.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/5/892575.jpg)
Hitler: Not so Aryan after all.
![CRACKED CASTING DOUBT ON ADOLF HITLER'S ARYAN ANCESTRY Belgian researchers did a DNA study that suggests Adolf Hitler may have had Jewish and African ancestors, even though he was responsible for killing two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population during his Nazi regime.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/3/892573.jpg)
Genghis Khan: not alone.
![CRACKED DISCOVERING MANY OF US ARE DESCENDED FROM A MURDEROUS CONQUEROR A group of geneticists did a study in 2015 and discovered that 10 men other than Genghis Khan had descendants that are still around today. One of them was a ruler from the 16th century Qinq Dynasty called Giocangga.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/7/892577.jpg)
Royal family tree blunder discovered.
![CRACKED THREATENING THE LEGITIMACY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH In 2014, scientists used DNA to study the remains of Richard III. They discovered that there had been a mistake in the family tree of the current Duke of Beaufort, which could affect the ancestry of the Windsors, including Queen Elizabeth II.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/2/892572.jpg)
Playing God, with chickens.
![CRACKED REVERSING EVOLUTION TO TURN CHICKENS INTO DINOSAURS In 2015, scientists from Harvard and Yale changed the genetic makeup of a chicken embryo so that it had a snout like a dinosaur. They did this to learn more about how the beak of modern birds evolved. Uh... nothing bad could happen from that, sure.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/0/892580.jpg)
Mystery solved.
![CRACKED BEING ALMOST UNABLE TO PROVE YOUR KIDS ARE YOUR OWN One 26-year-old mom almost lost custody of her kids because a DNA test said she wasn't their mother. In the end, it turned out she was a chimera, meaning she was the result of a fusion of two fetuses in the womb and so carried two DNA strands.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/1/892571.jpg)
Love is blind, apparently.
![CRACKED A COUPLE FINDING OUT THEY'RE RELATED After being married for 38 years, a couple found out from 23andMe that they were actually third cousins. Uh... awkward? Yeah, you bet. sweet home alabama](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/4/892574.jpg)
Gene-editing gone... wrong? Right? Can we tell?
![CRACKED MAKING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED HUMANS, GATTACA-STYLE In November 2018, the world was shocked when Chinese scientist Не Jiankui announced that he had used a gene-editing technique called CRISPR to alter the genes of two embryos, and the babies were born alive.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/8/892578.jpg)
DNA search: 1, Criminals: 0.
![CRACKED IDENTIFYING THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER In April 2018, cops used DNA search tech to identify the Golden State Killer. They took an anonymous DNA sample and combined it with information like age and location to narrow down the suspect's identity to fewer than 20 people out of 850.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/9/892579.jpg)
Surprise! He's related.
![CRACKED FINDING A STONE AGE HUNTER/GATHERER'S RELATIVES In 1903, they found the oldest complete skeleton in Britain - Cheddar Man. Recently, they studied his genome and found out he had dark brown or black skin, blue eyes, and dark hair - - and living relatives in Cheddar village, thanks to DNA analysis.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/6/892576.jpg)