Royal Relations

Genetic testing on 11 mummies revealed the remains of Tut’s parents, who were brother and sister. Tut’s father is very likely Akhenaten. The identity of his mother is still unknown. How do we know? Scientists collected DNA, then looked at eight sets of genetic markers (colored boxes in diagram below) to create a genetic fingerprint for each mummy. Shared markers help determine kinship.

Select a button below to see how these distinct genetic markers are passed from Yuya (orange), Tuyu (blue), and Amenhotep (violet).