Sitting Bull: DNA confirms great-grandson's identity

[Flemming]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59062133

A sample of hair belonging to the legendary 19th century Native American leader Sitting Bull has allowed scientists to confirm that a South Dakota man is his great-grandson.

Scientists took DNA from a tiny sample of Sitting Bull's hair that had been stored in Washington DC.

It showed that Ernie LaPointe, 73, is his great-grandson.

The new method allows analysis of family lineages with DNA fragments from long-dead people.

It opens the door to the prospect of matching other historic figures to their living descendants.

[brigidmac]

musicman posted about this on off topic forum earlier today

its amazing
i was around when DNA was first used to identify a murderer in Leicester
 
and of course lived thru the identification of King richard III remains

teeth were used for him ..had to be analysed in Paris laboratory.

It.s wonderful that  heritage can be proved in this way

[Flemming]

musicman posted about this on off topic forum earlier today

Aha, I didn't spot that or I wouldn't have doubled up 

[melba_schmelba]

Interesting, I was always under the impression that hair wasn't enough i.e. locks of hair often kept in lockets. I think the hair has to have the root attached for it to be possible? I assume that must have been the case here, but not usually the case in locks of hair that many people might have.

[brigidmac]

Yes i believe in past it was necessary to have the root but as there are DNA developments every year i think forensic scientists can now use cut hair too.

[Ruskie]

Something I wonder such claims are made …. how can they be so sure that Mr LaPointe is a great grandson of Sitting Bull himself rather than one of Sitting Bull’s brothers or other close relatives? Does anyone know how the DNA test can distinguish between them?

Like Melba, I was led to believe that the root of the hair was necessary for DNA testing.

Added: Wikipedia only gives one sibling, Spotted Elk.

[brigidmac]

Descendant s of siblings can be ruled in and out by looking at matches to the mothers along the line too

For example if descended from mr and mrs sitting bull match will be closer to that couple than to sittingbulls brother and mrs a another
Descendant s will have connections to mrs sitting bulls relatives and not mrs brother s relatives

Theres a tendency to forget about comparing the female side ..whereas that s the most reliable relationship on trees

King Richard III  had to be proved thru female line .male line unreliable. Some kings sons are not really the kings son but rarely not the son of reigning queen
 

[Ruskie]

Good point Brigid. I thought they might have taken a Y-DNA test though.
(Not sure if there are other paternal tests.) 

[brigidmac]

the ancestry covers paternal and maternal lines
Turi has explained in talks how the science works

she's canadian + we'd agreed to got to a film together just before bones were discovered ..then of course she disappearred on hush hush mission + i assumed it was childcare

we'd also discussed my mystery gran but never had time to get the exact dna advice
hoping to get in touch soon with her or the dna dept with help of radio leicester
 
very strange to name drop ..I know several famous leicester folk thru local community  radio work .+ other places