NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Three bone fragments found on a
deserted South Pacific island are being analyzed to determine if they belong to
Amelia
Earhart— tests that could finally prove she died as a castaway after failing
in her 1937 questto to become the first woman to fly around the world.
deserted South Pacific island are being analyzed to determine if they belong to
Amelia
Earhart— tests that could finally prove she died as a castaway after failing
in her 1937 questto to become the first woman to fly around the world.
Scientists at the University
of Oklahoma hope to extract DNA from the bones, which were found earlier
this year by a Delaware group dedicated to the recovery of historic
aircraft.
of Oklahoma hope to extract DNA from the bones, which were found earlier
this year by a Delaware group dedicated to the recovery of historic
aircraft.
"There's no guarantee," said Ric Gillespie, director of the
International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery in Delaware. "You only have
to say you have a bone that may be human and may be linked to Earhart and people
get excited. But it is true that, if they can get DNA, and if they can match it
to Amelia Earhart's DNA, that's pretty good."
International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery in Delaware. "You only have
to say you have a bone that may be human and may be linked to Earhart and people
get excited. But it is true that, if they can get DNA, and if they can match it
to Amelia Earhart's DNA, that's pretty good."
Lab officials said results of the tests could take week or
months.
months.
The remains turned up in May and June at what seemed to be
an abandoned campsite near where native work crews found skeletal remains in
1940. The pieces appear to be from a cervical bone, a neck bone and a
finger.
an abandoned campsite near where native work crews found skeletal remains in
1940. The pieces appear to be from a cervical bone, a neck bone and a
finger.
But Gillespie offered a word of caution: The fragments
could be from a turtle. They were found near a hollowed-out turtle shell that
might have been used to collect rain water, but there were no other turtle parts
nearby.
could be from a turtle. They were found near a hollowed-out turtle shell that
might have been used to collect rain water, but there were no other turtle parts
nearby.
"This site tells the story of how someone or some people
attempted to live as castaways," Gillespie said Friday in an interview with The
Associated Press. Bird and fish carcasses nearby suggested they were prepared
and eaten by Westerners.
attempted to live as castaways," Gillespie said Friday in an interview with The
Associated Press. Bird and fish carcasses nearby suggested they were prepared
and eaten by Westerners.
"These fish weren't eaten like Pacific Islanders" eat
fish.
fish.
Gillespie, author of "Finding Amelia: The True Story of the
Earhart Disappearance," has been traveling to the site since 1989. But he
acknowledges there's been little progress toward solving the Earhart
mystery.
Earhart Disappearance," has been traveling to the site since 1989. But he
acknowledges there's been little progress toward solving the Earhart
mystery.
"It's like science. You take the information you have and
formulate a hypothesis, but 9 times out of 10 you turn out wrong, then you go
through the whole thing again — but you're closer," Gillespie said.
formulate a hypothesis, but 9 times out of 10 you turn out wrong, then you go
through the whole thing again — but you're closer," Gillespie said.
Millions have been spent to figure out what happened to
Earhart, who was legally declared dead by a California court in early 1939.
Theories have ranged from the official version — that her twin-engine Electra
ran out of gas and crashed at sea — to the absurd, including abduction by
aliens, or Earhart living in New Jersey under an alias.
Earhart, who was legally declared dead by a California court in early 1939.
Theories have ranged from the official version — that her twin-engine Electra
ran out of gas and crashed at sea — to the absurd, including abduction by
aliens, or Earhart living in New Jersey under an alias.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Reporter's
diary adds new clue in Earhart mystery
diary adds new clue in Earhart mystery
PHOTOS: Mystery of
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Gillespie's book, along with "Amelia Earhart's Shoes," a
2001 book written by four other volunteers from the aircraft group, offers a
reasoned thesis that Earhart and Noonan crash-landed on a flat reef near
Nikumaroro Island, 1,800 miles south of Hawaii, and survived, perhaps for
months, on scant food and rainwater.
2001 book written by four other volunteers from the aircraft group, offers a
reasoned thesis that Earhart and Noonan crash-landed on a flat reef near
Nikumaroro Island, 1,800 miles south of Hawaii, and survived, perhaps for
months, on scant food and rainwater.
The island is on the course Earhart planned to follow from
Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island, which had a landing strip and fuel. Over the
last seven decades, searches of the remote atoll have produced tantalizing, if
inconclusive, clues, including human bones and a sextant found just three years
after Earhart vanished. The remains themselves later were lost.
Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island, which had a landing strip and fuel. Over the
last seven decades, searches of the remote atoll have produced tantalizing, if
inconclusive, clues, including human bones and a sextant found just three years
after Earhart vanished. The remains themselves later were lost.
Gillespie, a pilot, said she would have needed only about
700 feet of unobstructed space to land because her Lockheed Electra would have
been traveling only about 55 mph at touchdown.
700 feet of unobstructed space to land because her Lockheed Electra would have
been traveling only about 55 mph at touchdown.
"It looks like she could have landed successfully on the
reef surrounding the island. It's very flat and smooth," Gillespie said. "At low
tide, it looks like this place is surrounded by a parking lot."
reef surrounding the island. It's very flat and smooth," Gillespie said. "At low
tide, it looks like this place is surrounded by a parking lot."
However, Gillespie said, the plane, even if it landed
safely, would have been slowly dragged into the sea by the tides. Water is 1,000
to 2,000 feet deep off the reef. His group needs $3 million to $5 million for a
deep-sea dive.
safely, would have been slowly dragged into the sea by the tides. Water is 1,000
to 2,000 feet deep off the reef. His group needs $3 million to $5 million for a
deep-sea dive.
After the latest find, anthropologists who had previously
worked with Gillespie's group suggested that he ask the University of Oklahoma's
Molecular Anthropology Laboratory to try to extract DNA from the fragments for
comparison to genetic material donated by an Earhart family member.
worked with Gillespie's group suggested that he ask the University of Oklahoma's
Molecular Anthropology Laboratory to try to extract DNA from the fragments for
comparison to genetic material donated by an Earhart family member.
Cecil Lewis, an assistant professor of anthropology at the
lab, said the university received a little more than a gram of bone fragments
about two weeks ago. He preferred not to speculate about the pieces until more
tests were done.
lab, said the university received a little more than a gram of bone fragments
about two weeks ago. He preferred not to speculate about the pieces until more
tests were done.
"Think how disheartened people will be if it's just a
turtle bone," Lewis said.
turtle bone," Lewis said.
Under the best circumstances, the analysis would take two
weeks. If scientists have trouble with the sample, that time frame could stretch
into months, Lewis said.
weeks. If scientists have trouble with the sample, that time frame could stretch
into months, Lewis said.
"Ancient DNA is incredibly unpredictable," he said.
Gillespie said the group had tried to test possible genetic
material recovered during a 2007 expedition, but a Canadian lab was unable to
extract DNA from dried excrement.
material recovered during a 2007 expedition, but a Canadian lab was unable to
extract DNA from dried excrement.
Other material recovered this year also suggested the
presence of Westerners at the remote island site:
presence of Westerners at the remote island site:
— Someone carried shells ashore before cutting them open
and slicing out the meat. Islanders cut the meat out at sea.
and slicing out the meat. Islanders cut the meat out at sea.
— Bottoms of bottles found nearby were melted on the
bottom, suggesting they had been put into a fire, possibly to boil water. (A
Coast Guard unit on the island during World War II would have had no need to
boil water.)
bottom, suggesting they had been put into a fire, possibly to boil water. (A
Coast Guard unit on the island during World War II would have had no need to
boil water.)
— Bits of makeup were found at the scene. The group is
checking to see which products Earhart endorsed and whether an inventory lists
specific types of makeup carried on her final trip.
checking to see which products Earhart endorsed and whether an inventory lists
specific types of makeup carried on her final trip.
— A glass bottle with remnants of lanolin and oil, possibly
hand lotion.
hand lotion.
In 1940, a British overseer on the island recovered a
partial human skeleton, a woman's shoe and an empty sextant box at what appeared
to be a former campsite, littered with turtle, clamshell and bird remains.
partial human skeleton, a woman's shoe and an empty sextant box at what appeared
to be a former campsite, littered with turtle, clamshell and bird remains.
Thinking of Earhart, the overseer sent the items to Fiji,
where a British doctor decided they belonged to a stocky European or mixed-blood
male, ruling out any Earhart connection.
where a British doctor decided they belonged to a stocky European or mixed-blood
male, ruling out any Earhart connection.
The bones later vanished, but in 1998, Gillespie's group
located the doctor's notes in London. Two other forensic specialists reviewed
the doctor's bone measurements and agreed they were more "consistent with" a
female of northern European descent, about Earhart's age and height.
located the doctor's notes in London. Two other forensic specialists reviewed
the doctor's bone measurements and agreed they were more "consistent with" a
female of northern European descent, about Earhart's age and height.
On their own visits to the island, volunteers recovered an
aluminum panel that could be from an Electra, another piece of a woman's shoe
and a "Cat's Paw" heel dating from the 1930s; another shoe heel, possibly a
man's, and an oddly cut piece of clear Plexiglas.
aluminum panel that could be from an Electra, another piece of a woman's shoe
and a "Cat's Paw" heel dating from the 1930s; another shoe heel, possibly a
man's, and an oddly cut piece of clear Plexiglas.
The sextant box might have been Noonan's. The woman's shoe
and heel resemble a blucher-style oxford seen in a pre-takeoff photo of Earhart.
The plastic shard is the exact thickness and curvature of an Electra's side
window.
and heel resemble a blucher-style oxford seen in a pre-takeoff photo of Earhart.
The plastic shard is the exact thickness and curvature of an Electra's side
window.
The body of evidence is intriguing, but Gillespie insists
the team is "constantly agonizing over whether we are being dragged down a path
that isn't right."
the team is "constantly agonizing over whether we are being dragged down a path
that isn't right."
Copyright 2010 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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