In Context
- A technique based on ‘Autosomal DNA’ has been used for the first time to identify the great-grandson and closest living relative of Sitting Bull.
- Sitting Bull is a prominent 19th-century Native American leader.
- He is most famous for his victory over US General George Armstrong Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn River in 1876.
About Autosomal DNA
- It is a term used in genetic genealogy to describe DNA that is inherited from the autosomal chromosomes.
- An autosome is any of the numbered chromosomes, as opposed to the sex chromosomes.
- A person inherits half of autosomal DNA from the father and a half from the mother which means genetic matches can be checked irrespective of whether an ancestor is on the father or mother’s side of the family
- The autosomal DNA technique can be used even when very limited genetic data are available.
- If there is access to old DNA — typically extracted from bones, hair or teeth, they can be examined in the same way
- Autosomal DNA tests can be used to confirm relationships with a high level of accuracy for parent/child relationships and all relationships up to the second cousin level.
- For all relationships additional contextual and genealogical information is required to confirm the nature of the relationship.
- Experts have expressed hope that it could be used in the future to identify living descendants of other long-dead historical figures.
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Comparison of DNA and RNA As both, DNA and RNA are used to store genetic information but there are clear differences between them. The following table summarizes the key points:
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Source: DTE
