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

Multiple Choice

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?

A) the tsar and tsarina only
B) each of the claimants or their living children
C) the tsar, tsarina, and the other assassinated children
D) the tsarina and the claimants
E) the tsar and tsarina and living relatives of each of them