DNA Solves Mystery of Franklin Expedition Sailors

Topic: History

Researchers used DNA to identify four sailors from Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition. The findings provide new insight into what happened during the final stages of the expedition and resolve a century-old mystery surrounding one sailor's identity.

In 1845, Sir John Franklin led an Arctic expedition with two ships, Erebus and Terror. However, the crew got trapped in ice for nearly two years. By April 1848, all 105 surviving crew members abandoned their ships and tried to reach safety by traveling along the west coast of King William Island, Nunavut.

The researchers used DNA recovered from skeletal remains and compared it with samples provided by living descendants. They identified four new sailors: Harry Peglar, Captain of the Foretop on HMS Terror; William Orren, Able Seaman; David Young, Boy 1st Class; and John Bridgens, Subordinate Officers' Steward.

The findings raise the number of Franklin expedition sailors identified through DNA to six. The researchers also found that the remains of these four sailors show no evidence of cannibalism, unlike some other crew members.

Why It Matters

This discovery is important for living descendants who now have more information about their relatives' deaths and the circumstances surrounding them. It's also a remarkable connection to the present, as one BBC journalist was found to be a descendant of John Bridgens.

Key Facts

• The Franklin expedition set sail in 1845 with two ships, Erebus and Terror.
• All 105 surviving crew members abandoned their ships by April 1848.
• Four new sailors were identified through DNA: Harry Peglar, William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens.
• Their remains show no evidence of cannibalism.
• One BBC journalist was found to be a descendant of John Bridgens.

Key Terms

DNA

Short for Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA is the molecule that contains our genetic information.

Anthropologists

Scientists who study human cultures and physical remains.

Implications

This discovery is important for living descendants who now have more information about their relatives' deaths and the circumstances surrounding them. It's also a remarkable connection to the present, as one BBC journalist was found to be a descendant of John Bridgens.