In a sample that's aged or degraded, it's quite common that the nuclear DNA has been degraded beyond the point of recovery, and yet there is mtDNA that can be recovered. This is why mtDNA is extracted from ancient remains, such as 100,000 year-old Neanderthals. It is the mtDNA that is being analyzed in an attempt to specify the racial ties of Kennewick Man. And literally, the best is yet to come. Geneticists can assess the likelihood that a person is a redhead simply by testing for mutations in the gene for the receptor for a hormone that spurs production of the pigment melanin. .
All facial characteristics are on the agenda .