DNA helps identify an Egyptian royal mummy

MANCHESTER, England, July 16 (UPI) -- Preliminary results of a British DNA analysis are said to support the positive identification of an Egyptian queen who reigned in the 15th century B.C.

The initial claim that the well-preserved mummy is Queen Hatshepsut came last month when Egyptian scientists found a tooth in a wooden box associated with Hatshepsut exactly fitted the jaw socket of the unidentified mummy.

Angelique Corthals, a biomedical Egyptologist at The University of Manchester, said DNA tests performed by her and colleagues at the National Research Center in Cairo have produced preliminary results confirming the identity of the queen.

Corthals advised and trained a team led by Yehia Gad in Egypt that extracted DNA samples from the mummified remains and then compared the DNA with samples taken from Hatshepsut's grandmother and father.

"Ironically, the chemicals that preserve the appearance of the mummies actually damage their DNA," said Corthals. "But the team was able to extract small amounts of genetic information from the areas of the mummies least affected by contamination."

The research, featured Sunday on the Discovery Channel in the United States, was to be telecast Tuesday in the United Kingdom.