Identification of the remains of the Romanov family by DNA analysis
Abstract
Nine skeletons found in a shallow grave in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in July 1991, were tentatively identified by Russian forensic authorities as the remains of the last Tsar, Tsarina, three of their five children, the Royal Physician and three servants. We have performed DNA based sex testing and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis and confirm that a family group was present in the grave. Analysis of mitochondrial (mt) DNA reveals an exact sequence match between the putative Tsarina and the three children with a living maternal relative. Amplified mtDNA extracted from the remains of the putative Tsar has been cloned to demonstrate heteroplasmy at a single base within the mtDNA control region. One of these sequences matches two living maternal relatives of the Tsar. We conclude that the DNA evidence supports the hypothesis that the remains are those of the Romanov family.
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The full control region sequence from Tsar Nicholas II matched published HVI and HVII data: 16126C, 16169Y, 16294T, 16296T, 16519C, 73G, 263G, 315.1C.
“The sequence of the full control region [16024-576] was also determined from the remains of Tsar Nicholas II (a tooth from skeleton #4) and matched the published data of HVI and HVII from Gill et al. [3] and Ivanov et al. [4]: 16126C, 16169Y, 16294T, 16296T, 16519C, 73G, 263G, 315.1C with the transition at position 16519 newly characterized in the control region.”
From Mystery Solved: The Identification of the Two Missing Romanov Children Using DNA Analysis (2009) · cites this paper as [3]
The authors successfully amplified 444 bp and 440 bp mtDNA fragments from the exact material originally evaluated by Gill et al. using a classic aDNA amplification strategy.
“However, given this unique opportunity to re-test the exact material originally evaluated by Gill et al. [3], we were successfully able to amplify 444 bp and 440 bp fragments using a classic aDNA amplification strategy (increased cycle number, additional BSA, and additional polymerase), see Figure 4.”
From Mystery Solved: The Identification of the Two Missing Romanov Children Using DNA Analysis (2009) · cites this paper as [3]
Full control region profiles from the Tsarina and three of her daughters from the first grave matched previously published HVI and HVII results and matched the sequence haplotype obtained from the 2007 remains.
“Sequences from all individuals confirmed previously published results in HVI and HVII and matched the sequence haplotype obtained with the recently discovered skeletal remains [3].”
From Mystery Solved: The Identification of the Two Missing Romanov Children Using DNA Analysis (2009) · cites this paper as [3]
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Mystery Solved: The Identification of the Two Missing Romanov Children Using DNA Analysis
Coble, M. D., Loreille, O. M., Wadhams, M. J., Edson, S. M., Maynard, K., Meyer, C. E., Niederstätter, H., Berger, C., Berger, B., Falsetti, A. B., et al. (2009) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004838 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Self-citationMikkelsen, M., Frank-Hansen, R., Hansen, A. J., & Morling, N. (2014) · Forensic Science International: Genetics · doi:10.1016/j.fsigen.2014.03.014 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
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Perego, U. A., Bodner, M., Raveane, A., Woodward, S. R., Montinaro, F., Parson, W., & Achilli, A. (2019) · Forensic Science International: Genetics · doi:10.1016/j.fsigen.2019.05.007 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
The identification of the Romanovs: Can we (finally) put the controversies to rest?
Coble, M. D. (2011) · Investigative Genetics · doi:10.1186/2041-2223-2-20 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“Ivanov et al. [13] gave clear and convincing evidence that the 16,169 heteroplasmy found in the tsar was in fact authentic, since Georgii had the same point heteroplasmy, although at a ratio different from that of the tsar.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialThe execution of the Romanov family at Yekatarinberg
Byard, R. W. (2020) · Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology · doi:10.1007/s12024-020-00218-3 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Gill, P., Ivanov, P. L., Kimpton, C., Piercy, R., Benson, N., Tully, G., Evett, I., Hagelberg, E., & Sullivan, K.
- Affiliations
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology (RU)
- The Priory Hospital (GB)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Venue
- Nature Genetics
- Published
- 1994-02
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 130-135
- ISSN
- 1061-4036 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-1718
- OpenAlex
- W2049205303
- Cited by
- 693
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 17.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Genetics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Keywords
- Russian imperial family, human remains identification, mitochondrial DNA, heteroplasmy, microsatellite markers, sex determination, mitochondrial DNA control region, Nicholas II, royal physicians
- MeSH terms
- Base Sequence, Bone and Bones, DNA, Mitochondrial, Famous Persons, Female, Humans, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Pedigree, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Russia, DNA Fingerprinting, Sequence Analysis, DNA, History, 20th Century
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