DNA identifies four additional sailors from doomed 1845 Franklin Arctic expedition

The short version

• Anthropologists identified four more sailors from Sir John Franklin's 1845 Arctic expedition using genetic comparisons with living descendants, raising the total identified by DNA to six.[ScienceDaily]
• The identified sailors include Harry Peglar, William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens.[ScienceDaily]
• Peglar's identity was confirmed despite decades of uncertainty caused by clothing that did not align with his naval rank.[ScienceDaily]
• Skeletal remains of the four newly identified sailors show no indications of cannibalism, unlike remains identified in 2024.[ScienceDaily]

Key facts

• Anthropologists identified four additional crew members from the 1845 Franklin expedition through DNA matching, bringing the total number identified by DNA to six.[ScienceDaily]
• The four sailors identified are Harry Peglar, William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens.[ScienceDaily]
• Skeletal DNA extracted from the remains matched mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA from living descendants with a genetic distance of zero.[ScienceDaily]
• The identification of Harry Peglar resolves a 166-year-old mystery created when his remains were discovered with clothing that did not match his naval rank.[ScienceDaily]
• The skeletal remains of the four newly identified crew members show no physical evidence of cannibalism.[ScienceDaily]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• DNA solves the mystery of a body found in the Arctic in 1859ScienceDaily - Environment