Romanov Assignment Part C

Part III:  Molecular Analysis of People in a Mass Grave

1. Two “graves” were discovered near Yekaterinburg, Russia. Describe the number of bodies in each grave. Five members of the Romanov family and four members of their staff were buried in one mass grave. Two of the children from the Romanov family were buried in another grave.

2. When were these graves discovered? The larger mass grave was discovered in 1991. The other grave was discovered in the summer of 2007.

3. One of the reasons that the family of Nicholas II was executed was because there was a fear that the White Russian Army would save them. Who was the White Russian Army? The White Russian Army composed of supporters of the Tsar who stayed faithful to the imperial family and refused the Bolsheviks. This army also consisted of some capitalists, a large group of allied forces, and those who wanted democratic socialism.

4. What type of testing was done to confirm sex and familial relationships among the remains found in the mass grave? Nuclear DNA testing of five STR markers was done to confirm sex and familial relationships among the remains found in the mass grave.

5. Genetically, what does STR “stand” for? STR stands for “short tandem repeats.”

6. What three types of DNA were used to test the remains found in a second grave? The three types of DNA that were used to assess the remains found in the second grave were mitochondrial DNA, autosomal STR, and Y-STR testing.

7. Of the three types of DNA you listed in #6, which one would have been used specifically to identify Alexis? The type of DNA testing that would have been specifically used to identify Alexis was Y-STR testing. Alexis can be identified through the Y-STR testing because it can confirm that the STR regions of his Y chromosome have been passed down from his father, Nicholas.

8. What was the source of the DNA used to identify Alexis? The source of the DNA used to identify Alexis was from the male skeletal material from the second grave.

9. Was Anastasia in the grave in which Alexis was found? We do not know if Anastasia was in the second grave with Alexis. The second grave could have contained either Anastasia or Maria because there was not enough DNA from either sister to use to conclusively decide if they were in the same grave as Alexis or not.

Part IV:  Who Wants to Be Anastasia?

10. Give a brief history (2-3 sentences) of Anna Anderson-both her claims and what is thought to be true. Anna Anderson claimed that she was Tsar Nicholas’ daughter Anastasia. Her supporters stated that she escaped from the firing squad that was ordered to kill her and her family on July 16, 1918. Something that was thought to be true of Anna Anderson was that she was Franzisca Schanzkowska.

11. Where in the US did Anna Anderson eventually settle? Anna Anderson eventually settled in Charlottesville, Virginia.

12. Whom did she eventually marry? Anna Anderson eventually married J.E. Manahan in 1968. He was an American history professor.

13. What were the sources of Anna Andersons’s nuclear DNA? The sources of Anna Anderson’s nuclear DNA were from her small bowel samples and six strands of hair.

14. What were the sources of Nicholas’ and Alix’s nuclear DNA? The sources of Nicholas’ and Alix’s nuclear DNA were from their skeletal bones.

15. What type of analysis was done on DNA from Anna Anderson, Nicholas, and Alix? The type of analysis that was done on the DNA from Anna Anderson, Nicholas, and Alix was an STR analysis.

16. Anna Anderson’s mitochondrial DNA was compared to the mitochondrial DNA of what two people? Anna Anderson’s mitochondrial DNA was compared to the mitochondrial DNA of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and the great-nephew of Schanzkowska, Carl Maucher.

17. A hypervariable region of the mitochondrial DNA was analyzed. Define a hypervariable region? In mitochondrial DNA, a hypervariable region is a location within the D-loop where base pairs of the nucleotides have substitutions.

18. What were the conclusions from the mitochondrial DNA comparisons? The mitochondrial DNA comparisons concluded that Anna Anderson is not a maternal relative of Alix or of HRH Prince Philip. It also concluded that Carl Maucher and Anna Anderson may be maternal relatives.

19. The article which describes the analysis of Anna Anderson’s DNA was published in 1995.

• When were all of Nicholas’ and Alix’s children finally accounted for? All of Nicholas’ and Alix’s children were finally accounted for in 2007.

Part V:  Current Hemophilia Treatment

20. Describe a current treatment for hemophilia. A current treatment for patients with hemophilia would be to replace their missing blood clotting factor for their blood to properly clot. Clotting factor concentrates are treatment products that can be injected into a person’s vein. Doctors have prescribed two diverse types of treatment products, one being episodic care which can be used to stop bleeding episodes, and another being prophylactic care which can be used to prevent bleeding episodes.