Headlines about molecular genetics being used to shed new light on old mysteries or even put criminals behind bars have become increasingly more common.
In South Africa DNA is being used to answer important questions about everything from a group of people’s origins to the biological paternity of a child.
But paternity tests aren’t just applicable to modern cases. Fellow researcher Christoff Erasmus and I considered DNA evidence to understand a divorce case dating back 321 years. The events before and after the divorce case of Maria Kickers had long-term consequences for a family with a surname that, for decades, appeared often among the country’s white leaders. That name is Botha.