Tissue samples. Geneticist with envelopes containing tissue samples. One sample is from what may be the remains of the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Another belongs to an illegitimate son, Hernando, and the other is thought to be from Columbus' son, Diego. The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in the samples will be compared to determine whether remains in Seville, Spain, or in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, are those of Columbus. Columbus died in 1506 in Valladolid, Spain. He was first buried there before being moved in 1537 to Santo Domingo. In 1795 his remains were moved to Cuba, before finally moving to Seville in 1898. It is possible the wrong remains were taken to Cuba.