DNA Confirms Identity of Franklin ExpeditionCrew
Researchers have identified Captain James Fitzjames among the remains of the doomed 1845 Arctic expedition, revealing he was consumed by fellow sailors.
- The Franklin expedition, aiming to chart the Northwest Passage, ended in disaster with all 129 crew members perishing.
- Captain James Fitzjames, who led survivors after Sir John Franklin's death, has been identified through DNA analysis of a jawbone.
- Fitzjames' remains showed cut marks consistent with cannibalism, indicating desperate survival measures among the crew.
- The identification was made possible by matching DNA from Fitzjames' jawbone to a living descendant's sample.
- Archaeologists continue to seek DNA samples from relatives of other crew members to identify additional remains.
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