In 1718, the tsar of Russia, his wife the tsarina, and their five children were presumably assassinated and buried in an unmarked grave. Later, several women came forward and claimed that they were in fact Anastasia, one of the daughters whose bones had not been found. More recently, forensic scientists have extracted DNA, including mtDNA, from the skeletal remains. Which of the following samples of mtDNA had to be analyzed to discern which, if any, of the claimants was Anastasia?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is maternally inherited, so analyzing the mtDNA of the tsarina (the mother) and comparing it with that of the claimants would help determine if any of them were indeed Anastasia.

In 1718, the Tsar of Russia, His Wife the Tsarina