Apologies...I meant to multi -quote
[Ivy, with all due respect where did you get this information.
While dismissing this story as a hoax, I have to disagree with your facts above. No going into much detail, just look at this, for example:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8162066
It is possible to analyse older DNA samples. /]
different sources of DNA.
In your example they take DNA from the bones right at the time of testing. Here they claim they have DNA from saliva from 30 years ago. For that you can simply search for DNA degradation and/or proper storage of DNA. For example check this from CA courts :
http://ag.ca.gov/publications/finalproof.pdf. If 30 year old DNA that was lying around and changing hands at auction could be examined, all the law enforcement people wouldn't spend millions of dollars to store evidence in freezers and such.
I think the analysis of 'ancient dna' often relies on finding mitochondrial dna in bones and suchlike ( as in the article quoted below). Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother (in B Howards case, Mikki), so it would be pointless to compare mitochondrial DNA with any samples from a male, as it cannot show paternity. (so I understand).
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There were no genetic tests 400,000 years ago, so our ancient relatives didn't know as much about themselves as we know about them now.
Scientists have reconstructed a nearly complete mitochondrial genome of an ancient human relative, whose remains were found in Sima de los Huesos ("pit of bones") in northern Spain. It is the oldest DNA to be recovered from an early humanlike species, authors of a study wrote in the journal Nature.
The ancient species that has revealed some of its genetic secrets, via bone fragments from a femur, is probably not directly linked to your family tree though.
etc......
How they did it
Paabo and colleagues used a new method for sequencing ancient, degraded genetic material to put together the 400,000-year-old specimen's mitochondrial genome. It is the oldest DNA ever found outside permafrost conditions -- in other words, it was not permanently frozen.
Mitochondria are structures in cells that convert food energy into usable forms. DNA stored in the mitochondria is passed to children through the maternal line only (i.e., only moms can pass it on), so it's only a small snapshot of inherited genes.
Genetic material in the cell's nucleus comes from both parents and gives a fuller picture of genetic heritage.
To study genetics of our ancient predecessors, researchers have an easier time studying mitochondrial DNA because there are hundreds of times more copies of it in each cell.
Article continues at some length......
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/09/health/oldest-human-dna/index.html