One of the brave sailors who was lost in Franklin ’s badly - destine Arctic expedition of 1845 has been name using a DNA sample . His name was Captain James Fitzjames , a fourth-year policeman onboardHMS Erebusborn on July 27 , 1813 . In a gloomy twist , the latest study of his remains highlight another dark aspect of the voyage ’s fib : Fitzjames was in all probability subjected to cannibalism by his fellow shipmates .
Fitzjames was discover using genetic and genealogical analyses by scientists at the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University in Canada .
His deoxyribonucleic acid was obtained from a tooth found at the archeological website on King William Island in the Canadian soil of Nunavut , where 451 bone from at least 13 Franklin sailor have been let on . The remains were then genetically matched to a DNA sample from a survive descendent ,
Douglas Stenton at a commemorative cairn where the remains of James Fitzjames and twelve other Franklin expedition sailors rest.Image credit: R. Park
“ We make with a good quality sample distribution that appropriate us to generate a Y - chromosome profile , and we were lucky enough to hold a lucifer , ” Stephen Fratpietro , a Technical Manager at Lakehead University ’s Paleo - DNA lab , say in astatement .
He ’s only the second person from the 105 - strong crew to be positively identified , joining an applied scientist bring up John Gregory whom the teamidentified in 2021using similar method .
A 2010 life story of Fitzjames suggests that he was the outlaw Word of Sir James Gambier ( 1772–1844 ) and a cleaning woman whose true personal identity is unknown but was listed on Christian church documents as “ Ann Fitzjames ” .
It was through the genealogy of the Gambiers , a well - to - do family of diplomats and naval officers , that the living descendant of Fitzjames was institute . The study excuse : “ the DNA donor is a second first cousin of Fitzjames five times removed and is connect to him through two of James Gambier ’s sons . ”
The remains of Fitzjames , as well as some the other sailors who perished with him , now catch one’s breath in a memorial cairn terrier at the internet site with a commemorative plaque .
Franklin ’s Lost Expedition was an ill - fated British voyage that attempted to cross the last unnavigated section of the Northwest Passage , an ice rink - riddled ocean route between the Atlantic and Pacific ocean that promised to spread out up global business deal .
Under the command of Sir John Franklin , the two ship , HMS ErebusandHMS Terror , leave England in 1845 but became icebound around the Canadian Arctic in 1848 . All members of the jaunt eventually exit from the utmost cold , starvation , and scurvy , exacerbated by jumper cable poisoningfrom the solder used to seal off up their cans of food for thought .
Much of the story is shrouded in mystery story , but it has been pieced together through the reports of local Inuit the great unwashed , letters write prior to the crowd ’s disappearing , and the forensic examinations of the gang ’s stiff . The wrecks of the two ships were hear in 2014 and 2016 , adding unexampled information to the story .
When delivery crews contacted Inuit people in the 1850s , they said they had consider evidence that survivors had resorted to cannibalism . The latest study of Fitzjames grimly affirms their account . Three - dimensional scans of his lower jawbone ( jawbone ) break unclouded evidence of shortened marks , suggesting his remains had been slaughter and eaten by his desperate crewmembers .
" It attest the grade of desperation that the Franklin leghorn must have felt to do something they would have turn over abhorrent , " explained Dr. Robert Park , an anthropology prof at the University of Waterloo .
" This shows that he predeceased at least some of the other crewman who perished , and that neither social status nor status was the governing principle in the terminal heroic days of the expedition as they strove to relieve themselves , ” added Dr Douglas Stenton , auxiliary prof of anthropology at the university .
The study is publish in theJournal of Archaeological Science : Reports .
