Final answer:
Sir Alec Jeffreys recommends using mitochondrial STRs for DNA profiling in mass disasters, as mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited and remains more intact than nuclear DNA under challenging conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
DNA profiling is an essential tool in forensic science, especially in challenging situations like mass disasters where the identification of individuals is complicated. In such cases, traditional autosomal STRs might not be sufficient due to the high degree of degradation and the presence of mixed samples. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a valuable alternative in these contexts as it is maternally inherited and present in many copies per cell, which increases the chance of retrieving useable DNA fragments. mtDNA does not undergo recombination, making it stable and relatively consistent across generations; this makes it ideal for tracing maternal lineage and identifying remains when autosomal DNA is not available or too degraded.
Moreover, the reference to Mitochondrial Eve underscores the importance of mtDNA in studying human ancestry and migration through maternal lineages. The successful use of DNA extracted from ancient skeletons to match modern pathogens shows the resilience of mtDNA over centuries, further supporting its utility in modern forensic analysis.