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Questions for Discussion: DNA Makes History

  • Would forensic scientists have been able to positively identify the remains of Tsar Nicholas II and his family without the use of DNA analysis?
  • How did forensic scientists determine which of the remains were from males, and which were from females?
  • What genetic anomaly in Tsar Nicholas II's mitochondrial DNA initially confused forensic scientists, making them think the sample was contaminated? How did this anomaly eventually allow scientists to identify the remains as Nicholas II?