Bones found on a remote island in the South Pacific almost certainly belong to lost aviation pioneer Ameila Earhart, an anthropologist has claimed.

Ms Earhart disappeared in July 1937 whilst trying to become the first woman to fly around the globe. She and her navigator Fred Noonan were last seen when they left Papua New Guinea.

The bones were found in 1940, but dismissed at the time as belonging to a man.

Was Amelia Earhart executed by the Japanese?

But a new look, using modern techniques, has not only determined they belonged to a woman, but they're 100 times more likely to belong to Ms Earhart than any randomly selected other person.

"Forensic anthropology was not well developed in the early 20th century," Richard Jantz, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Tennessee, wrote in a new paper published in journal Forensic Anthropology.

"There are many examples of erroneous assessments by anthropologists of the period. We can agree that [they] may have done as well as most analysts of the time could have done, but this does not mean [their] analysis was correct."

The 1940 analysis measured seven bones found on Nikumaroro Island. Prof Jantz used that data and modern techniques, as well as taking measurements of clothing that belonged to Ms Earhart, to perhaps put an end to eight decades of mystery.

As well as the bones, the 1940 search party found a woman's shoe, a navigational instrument called a sextant and a bottle of Benadictine, which Ms Earhart was known to carry.</s>A new scientific study by a University of Tennessee professor claims that bones found in 1940 on the island of Nikumaroro belong to aviator Amelia Earhart, who disappeared as she piloted her plane across the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

The study, conducted by Professor Richard L. Jantz, suggests that a human skull discovered by a British expedition exploring the island for settlement, may have belonged to Earhart. The expedition’s officer ordered a more thorough search of the area, which resulted in the discovery of more bones and part of what appeared to be a woman’s shoe.

“There was suspicion at the time that the bones could be the remains of Amelia Earhart,” Jantz wrote in his study.

When the 13 bones were shipped to Fiji and studied by D.W. Hoodless of the Central Medical School in 1941, Jantz argues that forensic osteology was still in its early stages. This means that his assessment of the sex of the remains could have been affected.

Jantz compared the lengths of the bones to Earhart’s measurements, based on photographs and information found on her pilot’s and driver’s licenses. Jantz's findings revealed that Earhart’s bones were more similar to the bones found on Nikumaroro than “99 (percent)” of individuals in a large reference sample.

“In the case of the Nikumaroro bones, the only documented person to whom they may belong is Amelia Earhart,” Jantz wrote in his study.</s>NEW YORK (AP) - Bones found in 1940 on a western Pacific Ocean island were quite likely to be remains from famed aviator Amelia Earhart, a new analysis concludes.

The study and other evidence "point toward her rather strongly," University of Tennessee anthropologist Richard Jantz said Thursday.

Earhart disappeared during an attempted flight around the world in 1937, and the search for an answer to what happened to her and her navigator has captivated the public for decades.

FILE - In a June 26, 1928 file photo, American aviatrix Amelia Earhart poses with flowers as she arrives in Southampton, England, after her transatlantic flight on the "Friendship" from Burry Point, Wales. Bones found in 1940 on a western Pacific Ocean island were quite likely to be remains from famed aviator Amelia Earhart, a new analysis concludes. Until somebody disproves the link, "the most convincing argument is that they are hers," University of Tennessee anthropologist Richard Jantz said in a statement from the institution. (AP Photo, File)

Jantz's analysis is the latest chapter in a back-and-forth that has played out about the remains, which were found in 1940 on Nikumaroro Island but are now lost.

All that survive are seven measurements, from the skull and bones of the arm and leg. Those measurements led a scientist in 1941 to conclude the bones belong to a man. In 1998, however, Jantz and another scientist reinterpreted them as coming from a woman of European ancestry, and about Earhart's height. But in 2015, still other researchers concluded the original assessment as a man was correct.

Now Jantz weighs in with another analysis of the measurements, published in January in the journal Forensic Anthropology.

For comparison, Jantz used an inseam length and waist circumference from a pair of Earhart's trousers. He also drew on a photo of her holding an oil can to estimate the lengths of two arm bones.

Analysis showed "the bones are consistent with Earhart in all respects we know or can reasonably infer," he wrote in the journal article. It's highly unlikely that a random person would resemble the bones as closely as Earhart, he wrote.

In a phone interview, Jantz noted that some artifacts found on the island also support the possibility that the bones came from Earhart.

"I think we have pretty good evidence that it's her," he said.</s>NEW YORK (CBS NEWS) – A new forensic analysis indicates that bones found on a remote South Pacific island in 1940 are very likely those of legendary American aviator Amelia Earhart, according to a researcher at the University of Tennessee.

A statement released by the university says the analysis showed that the bones “have more similarity to Earhart than to 99 percent of individuals in a large reference sample.”

The university says that in 1940, physician D. W. Hoodless conducted seven measurements on the human remains and concluded they belonged to a man. The bones, discovered by a British expedition on the island of Nikumaroro, were later discarded.

But UT anthropology professor Richard Jantz — using “modern quantitative techniques” — re-examined the bone measurements. The university says Jantz used a computer program he co-created that estimates gender, ancestry, and stature from skeletal measurements. The researcher obtained precise measurements of Earhart’s humerus and radius lengths from a photograph as well as measurements of her clothing.

Jantz concluded that “until definitive evidence is presented that the remains are not those of Amelia Earhart, the most convincing argument is that they are hers.”

The new study is published in the journal Forensic Anthropology.

Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared on July 2, 1937, while flying over the Pacific Ocean during Earhart’s attempt to become the first female aviator to fly around the globe. They vanished without a trace, spurring the largest and most expensive search and rescue effort by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard in American history. They were declared dead two years later, but the wreckage was never found.

♦♦♦ Click Here To Read The Complete Story On cbsnews.com ♦♦♦</s>An anthropologist claims that he's finally solved the 80-year-old mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance, telling the "Today" show it's "99 percent" likely that bones on the remote Pacific island of Nikumaroro belong to her.

The bones were discovered in 1940, but an expert said at the time that they belonged to a middle-aged man. They've disappeared since then, but now Richard Jantz, an anthropology professor at the University of Tennessee, argues they were Earhart's.

"These bones are much more similar to Amelia Earhart than they are to anyone else," he said.

Jantz came to that conclusion after comparing documents showing measurements of the bones with an estimate of the famed aviator's bone lengths from a photograph.

Black-and-white film of Amelia Earhart before her last flight has surfaced. It was taken at Burbank Airport in California and features her last photoshoot before she flew most of the way around the world and disappeared.</s>KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A University of Tennessee researcher says he has concluded that bones found on a remote South Pacific island are almost definitely those of famed American pilot Amelia Earhart.

Richard Jantz, professor emeritus of anthropology and director emeritus of UT’s Forensic Anthropology Center, re-examined the bones, which were originally determined to be that of a man when measurements were conducted in 1940 by physician D.W. Hoodless.

Jantz used several modern techniques, including a computer program called Fordisc, and compared Hoodless’ measurements with bone lengths determined from photographs of Earhart and found the bone measurements were more similar to Earhart than to 99 percent of individuals in a large sample.

The bones themselves have disappeared in the intervening years, so Jantz only had Hoodless’ measurements to go by. Jantz says his questioning of Hoodless’ analysis had less to do with his competence, but more to do with the state of forensic anthropology at the time.

Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, disappeared in 1937 while flying over the Pacific. Jantz and other researchers believe she died as a castaway on the island now known as Nikumaroro, where the bones were later discovered in 1940.

Alongside the bones were part of a woman’s shoe, a sextant box similar to the one Earhart’s co-pilot used and a Benedictine bottle, something Earhart was known to carry.

Other theories about the bones include that they belong to one of 11 men presumed killed in the 1929 wreck of the Norwich City or the bones of a Pacific islander. Jantz said there’s no evidence any of the men in the shipwreck survived to die as a castaway and the woman’s shoe and American sextant box were not likely to have been associated with anyone in the wreck. There was also no evidence a Pacific Islander had ended up as a castaway.

The study, published in the journal “Forensic Anthropology,” concludes that Earhart “was known to have been in the area of Nikumaroro Island, she went missing, and human remains were discovered which are entirely consistent with her and inconsistent with most other people.”</s>Bones found in 1940 on a western Pacific Ocean island were quite likely to be remains from famed aviator Amelia Earhart, a new analysis concludes.

The study and other evidence "point toward her rather strongly," University of Tennessee anthropologist Richard Jantz said Thursday.

Earhart disappeared during an attempted flight around the world in 1937, and the search for an answer to what happened to her and her navigator has captivated the public for decades.

Jantz's analysis is the latest chapter in a back-and-forth that has played out about the remains, which were found in 1940 on Nikumaroro Island but are now lost.

All that survive are seven measurements, from the skull and bones of the arm and leg. Those measurements led a scientist in 1941 to conclude the bones belong to a man. In 1998, however, Jantz and another scientist reinterpreted them as coming from a woman of European ancestry, and about Earhart's height. But in 2015, still other researchers concluded the original assessment as a man was correct.

Now Jantz weighs in with another analysis of the measurements, published in January in the journal Forensic Anthropology.

For comparison, Jantz used an inseam length and waist circumference from a pair of Earhart's trousers. He also drew on a photo of her holding an oil can to estimate the lengths of two arm bones.

Analysis showed "the bones are consistent with Earhart in all respects we know or can reasonably infer," he wrote in the journal article. It's highly unlikely that a random person would resemble the bones as closely as Earhart, he wrote.

In a phone interview, Jantz noted that some artifacts found on the island also support the possibility that the bones came from Earhart.

"I think we have pretty good evidence that it's her," he said.</s>
• A new study claims that Amelia Earhart’s bones were found on Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific.
• Richard Jantz, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, says previous research identifying the bones as male was “inadequate.”
• The research supports the theory that she died as a castaway.

Ever since her plane disappeared on her flight around the world in 1937, researchers and conspiracy theorists alike have debated what happened to Amelia Earhart. But now, a study may have pinpointed a new clue that could reveal where she died.

The new study, published in the journal Forensic Anthropology, analyzed bones found on Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific in 1940, which physician D.W. Hoodless concluded at the time belonged to a male. Those bones have long been lost, but Richard Jantz, a professor emeritus at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, took a closer look at the measurements using modern technology and found that Hoodless was likely incorrect about the sex of the remains.

Jantz, who conducted the study with the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, looked at the bone lengths and compared them to what we know about the length of Earhart’s bones, including clothing measurements and photographs of her next to scalable objects. Jantz found the previous research dismissing the Nikumaroro bones to be “inadequate,” and concluded that the bones most likely belong to Earhart.

“This analysis reveals that Earhart is more similar to the Nikumaroro bones than 99% of individuals in a large reference sample,” the study noted. “This strongly supports the conclusion that the Nikumaroro bones belonged to Amelia Earhart.”

Jantz believes Earhart died as a castaway on Nikumaroro Island, though some theorists believe she died on Mili Atoll in the Marshall Islands. A press release announcing the findings also notes that the search party which recovered the bones in 1940 also found a part of a woman’s shoe, a box designed to hold a Brandis Navy Surveying Sextant, and a Benedictine bottle, which Earhart had often carried.</s>A new forensic analysis indicates that bones found on a remote South Pacific island in 1940 are very likely those of legendary American aviator Amelia Earhart, according to a researcher at the University of Tennessee. A statement released by the university says the analysis showed that the bones “have more similarity to Earhart than to 99 percent of individuals in a large reference sample.”

The university says that in 1940, physician D. W. Hoodless conducted seven measurements on the human remains and concluded they belonged to a man. The bones, discovered by a British expedition on the island of Nikumaroro, were later discarded.

But UT anthropology professor Richard Jantz — using “modern quantitative techniques” — re-examined the bone measurements. The university says Jantz used a computer program he co-created that estimates gender, ancestry, and stature from skeletal measurements. The researcher obtained precise measurements of Earhart’s humerus and radius lengths from a photograph as well as measurements of her clothing.

Jantz concluded that “until definitive evidence is presented that the remains are not those of Amelia Earhart, the most convincing argument is that they are hers.”

The new study is published in the journal Forensic Anthropology.

Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared on July 2, 1937, while flying over the Pacific Ocean during Earhart’s attempt to become the first female aviator to fly around the globe. They vanished without a trace, spurring the largest and most expensive search and rescue effort by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard in American history. They were declared dead two years later, but the wreckage was never found.

The disappearance of Earhart and Noonan has been the subject of continuing searches, research and debate.

A longstanding theory is that the famed pilot ran out of gas and crashed into deep ocean waters northwest of Howland Island, a tiny speck in the South Pacific that she and Noonan missed.

Last July, a Japanese military history buff apparently undermined a new theory that Earhart survived a crash-landing in the Pacific Ocean.

The history blogger posted the same photograph that formed the backbone of a History channel documentary that aired on Sunday that argued that Earhart was alive in July 1937 – but the book the photo was in was apparently published two years before the famed aviator disappeared.

The undated black-and-white photo is of a group of people standing on a dock on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands. One of the people seems to be a slim woman with her back to the camera.

The documentary argued that it proved Earhart, along with her navigator Fred Noonan, landed in 1937 in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands, where they were picked up by the Japanese military and held prisoner. The two-hour show drew a strong 4.32 million viewers, the biggest audience on cable for the week, according to The Nielsen Company.</s>Bones found on a remote South Pacific island that were originally believed to be those of a man may in fact be those of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in the area in 1937, according to a new study.

Richard Jantz, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Tennessee, used modern bone measurement analysis to determine the bones were likely those of Earhart, who went missing while on a pioneering round-the-world flight with navigator Fred Noonan.

Earhart's disappearance is one of the most tantalizing mysteries in aviation lore, fascinating historians for decades and spawning books, movies and theories galore.

The prevailing belief is that Earhart, 39, and Noonan, 44, ran out of fuel and ditched their twin-engine Lockheed Electra in the Pacific Ocean near remote Howland Island while on the third-to-last leg of their epic journey.

One of the most popular theories is that Earhart and Noonan crash-landed on uninhabited Gardner Island, now known as Nikumaroro, part of the Republic of Kiribati, where she survived briefly as a castaway.

A 1940 British Colonial Service expedition to the island found a human skull, bones, part of the sole of a woman's shoe, a box for a sextant and a bottle of Benedictine.

The bones were shipped to Fiji and examined in 1941 by Dr. David W. Hoodless, a professor of anatomy, who determined they were those of a stocky man.

The bones have since been lost.

Using a computer program called Fordisc, which estimates sex, ancestry, and stature from skeletal measurements, Jantz re-examined seven bone measurements done by Hoodless -- four of the skull and three of the tibia, humerus, and radius bones.

Comparing them to measurements of Earhart's bone lengths based on photographs and examination of her clothing, he determined the bones were likely those of the aviatrix.

The bones have more similarity to Earhart than to 99 percent of individuals in a large reference sample, according to the study.

"This strongly supports the conclusion that the Nikumaroro bones belonged to Amelia Earhart," Jantz said. "The bones are consistent with Earhart in all respects we know or can reasonably infer."

"Until definitive evidence is presented that the remains are not those of Amelia Earhart, the most convincing argument is that they are hers," he said.

"Forensic anthropology was not well developed in the early 20th century," Jantz wrote of the previous analysis of the remains.

"There are many examples of erroneous assessments by anthropologists of the period," he said.

"We can agree that Hoodless may have done as well as most analysts of the time could have done, but this does not mean his analysis was correct," Jantz said.

The study was published this week in the journal Forensic Anthropology of the University of Florida. It was conducted in collaboration with The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR).

Earhart, who won fame in 1932 as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, took off on May 20, 1937 from Oakland, California, hoping to become the first woman to fly around the world.

She and Noonan vanished on July 2, 1937 after taking off from Lae, Papua New Guinea, on a challenging 2,500-mile (4,000-kilometer) flight to refuel on Howland Island, a fly speck of a US territory between Australia and Hawaii.

They never made it.
Emeritus University of Tennessee Professor Richard Jantz claims that bones found in 1940 on Nikumaroro, Kiribati, almost certainly belong to lost aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart.