DNA Analysis Could Help Find Amelia Earhart
DNA Hair Testing May Aid in Identification of Artifacts
Oct 28, 2009
One of the most compelling unsolved mysteries of the 20th century, aviatrix Amelia Earhart disappeared during an attempt to fly around the world in 1937. Artifacts found on a remote Pacific Island possibly belonging to Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, may help to solve this famous missing persons case.
Search Funded by TIGHAR
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving historic aircraft. Their archaeological group also focuses on investigation and recovery of aircraft. In 1940, a partial skeleton was recovered from an island in the Pacific known as Nikumaroro. British officer, Gerald Gallagher, made the discovery on this island that is 300 miles southeast of Howland Island, where Amelia Earhart was scheduled to land on July 2, 1937. The bones were thought to belong to a Caucasian female, but further analysis was prevented due to the loss of the skeleton.
The Earhart Project
TIGHAR began investigating Amelia Earhart's disappearance in 1988. Five expeditions have traveled to Nikumaroro with a sixth planned for 2010. Artifacts have been recovered on previous expeditions, including parts of aircraft, but nothing yet specific to Earhart's airplane. A woman's shoe, a cognac bottle and a sextant were found in early excavations as well as the remains of a campfire. Recovery of artifacts has been difficult due to animal scavengers on the island.
DNA Testing of Earhart Artifacts
The International Women's Air & Space Museum has had a hair sample thought to belong to Amelia Earhart as part of its collection for over 20 years. It was donated by a maid at the White House who claimed to have found the hair after cleaning Earhart's room. TIGHAR executive director, Ric Gillespie, requested a small sample of the hair for DNA testing to match to artifacts found on Nikumaroro.
The plan was to begin DNA testing of the hair against a reference sample that TIGHAR received from Earhart's family. Mitochondrial DNA in the hair could have provided a match to the reference sample, proving it belonged to Amelia Earhart. From that, nuclear DNA would be extracted that could be used to identify artifacts found on expeditions from the Pacific island where Earhart is thought to have landed. Unfortunately, DNA testing of the hair recently determined it to actually be a piece of thread.
Further Earhart Archaeological Expeditions Planned
TIGHAR is undaunted by the setback with the hair sample. A sixth expedition is planned to Nikumaroro in 2010. The goal for the sixth expedition is to find artifacts from which DNA can be removed and tested against the DNA reference sample contributed by Amelia Earhart's family. Interested people can participate in this expedition as a sponsor team member. More information on contributing is available from info@tighar.org.
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