Open Richard III DNA evidence for peer review

"DEFORM'D, unfinished, sent before my time." Shakespeare's version of Richard III is nothing if not blunt about his physical shortcomings. But how much truth lies behind this portrayal?

Perhaps we are about to find out. Researchers at the University of Leicester, UK, have put together a compelling case that a skeleton unearthed from a car park in the city last year is that of the last Plantagenet king of England. The team used the language of the courtroom in their triumphant and much publicised summing up. Given the historic, archaeological and forensic evidence, they say it is "beyond reasonable doubt" that the skeleton, with its markedly crooked spine, is that of Richard III (see "Doubts remain that the Leicester body is Richard III").

It is gratifying to see a scientific analysis given such worldwide attention. Nonetheless, scientific validity is decided not in courts, but in published work that other scientists can examine, check and criticise. Arguments based on DNA, in particular, need to be open to scrutiny, as they tend to be seen as far less fallible than they are. So peer review must follow the press release. Otherwise, we might as well just take Shakespeare's word for it.

This article appeared in print under the headline "Royal truth will out"

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