In the attempt to identify the remains thought to be that of Czar Nicholas Romanov II and his family,_____ was used to determine that the skeletons were not only related members of a family,but were also related to living Romanov relatives.
A) Y chromosome STR alleles
B) blood typing
C) facial reconstruction
D) maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA
E) paternally inherited mitochondrial DNA

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA is the best choice for identifying the remains thought to be that of Czar Nicholas Romanov II and his family because it is passed down exclusively through the maternal line and would be present in all siblings and maternal relatives. Y chromosome STR alleles and paternally inherited mitochondrial DNA would not be present in female remains, while blood typing and facial reconstruction would not provide genetic information for identification.

In the Attempt to Identify the Remains Thought to Be