DNA study seeks to end dispute on where Columbus was born

An aeroplane flies past a statue of Christopher Columbus in central Madrid on August 3, 2011. [Reuters]

Spanish researchers set out on Wednesday to settle the dispute over the true origins of Christopher Columbus after various theories in the past decades claimed the explorer hailed from Portugal or Spain, rather than Italy, as most scholars agree.

"There is no doubt on our part (about his Italian origin), but we can provide objective data that can ... close a series of existing theories," Jose Antonio Lorente, lead scientist of the DNA study at the University of Granada, told a video news conference.