Question : Windows 2003 DNS Replication

I am looking at this
http://tinyurl.com/rbsoj

I have an internal Microsoft AD domain with a root domain (sample.com) and 1 child domain (sonof.sample.com)

Does this imply that the domain controller (DNS server) in the child domain can be authoritative for the root domain?
Right now our child domain forwards all DNS requests to the root domain DNS server which forward to the outside ISP DNS server.

I would like to eliminate using the root domain DNS server; however, still need to resolve names from the root domain.

Answer : Windows 2003 DNS Replication

If the domain sample.com is stored in the AD, and under the zone's properties, replication - it's scope is set "To all dns servers in the active directory forest"
then yes, all DNS servers in the forest will be "Authoritative".