– Scientists have identified bones recovered from King William Island as belonging to James Fitzjames, captain of the HMS Erebus.
– DNA evidence from a tooth found matched a descendant of Fitzjames. This is only the second identification made of Franklin expedition remains.
– Notches on Fitzjames’ jawbone indicate it showed signs of butchering, suggesting crew members resorted to cannibalism to survive.
– This provides evidence that Fitzjames predeceased some crew members, and rank did not matter in the expedition’s final days as they fought for survival.
– Inuit reports from the 1850s and 1990s archaeological evidence had previously indicated survivors resorted to cannibalism in their desperate conditions.
– The identification reveals the level of starvation and desperation faced by the Franklin crew members near the expedition’s tragic end.
– Fitzjames’ remains were reinterred in a cairn on King William Island with a memorial plaque, allowing him to be honorably laid to rest.
Source: Science Alert
