New Amelia Earhart Expedition Revives the Coconut Crab Theory
Could the answer to the age-old mystery about Amelia Earhart's disappearance be explained by crabs? A team of researchers is on-site at the remote island of Nikumaroro in the Pacific, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to the famous aviator and her navigator. Why do they believe crabs might hold the answer? Read on for the details.
Giant Coconut Crabs Could Be Responsible for Amelia Earhart's Death
A new theory is unfolding surrounding the mystery of Amelia Earhart, blaming her demise on giant coconut crabs. What is known is that Earhart's ill-fated flight around the world went down somewhere near the equator in the Pacific Ocean in 1937. While historians are relatively certain what part of the ocean that plane went down in, what is not known is what exactly happened to her and her navigator, Fred Noonan. Neither of the bodies nor the Lockheed Electra airplane has ever been located.
A team of researchers from Indiana's Purdue University's Archaeological Legacy Institute and the Purdue Research Foundation headed to the island of Nikumaroro on October 2 to explore the possibility that the large hunting crabs could have killed Earhart and Noonan and to inspect the Taraia Object, an anomaly in the island’s lagoon that they believe could be Earhart’s plane. The researchers are part of the Taraia Object expedition.
The researchers arrived on the island a few days ago, hoping to find Earhart's remains and her plane. While on the island, the team will have to deal with more than just the meat-eating crabs. Nikumaroro is also inhabited by rats that nest within the thick vegetation in this part of the tropics.
Controlled by the nation of Kiribati, Nikumaroro is known for its proliferation of coconut crabs that can live up to 60 years. The London Museum of Natural History calls this species of crabs "bird-eating behemoths" that thrive on "isolated tropical islands." The museum notes that the crabs' legs can grow to more than three feet. The experts at the museum also note that the crabs "have incredible grip strength and they can lift objects the weight of a 10-year-old child."
The scientific name of these land-dwelling crabs is Birgus latro. These crustaceans primarily hunt birds and rats once they are fully grown. What makes these crabs most unique when compared to their crustacean counterparts is that they can only live on land.
Because of the remoteness of this part of the Pacific, communication with the team has been challenging since they departed on the expedition. Steve Schultz, senior vice president and general counsel at Purdue University, was able to communicate that the team is doing well, writing that “The coconut crabs are one of the reasons we’re leaving the island every night before sundown.”
Details of the Coconut Crab Theory
There has been at least one theory floated that believes that Earhart might have perished not in the actual airplane crash but by the coconut crabs. Experts note that these crabs have a strong sense of smell. This means that they may have been able to locate Earhart on the beach if she had wounds as a result of the crash.
This theory was expounded on in a 2013 article in Smithsonian Magazine. The belief is that Earhart and Noonan had to crash-land their plane in a lagoon on Nikumaroro. Proponents of this theory believe that crabs were drawn to Earhart and Noonan by the smell of their blood, eventually clawing them to death.
The article in Smithsonian Magazine wrote that "In 1940, researchers discovered a fraction of a skeleton on the island that matched the description of Amelia Earhart. Now, even more interesting clues are arising that seem to substantiate the idea that this is where she met her demise. The most compelling hypothesis currently under consideration is that coconut crabs overwhelmed her where she lay."
This potential explanation led researchers to use a small pig carcass to test how the crabs would respond. The researchers found that the bones were quickly removed and thrown around by the crabs, indicating that it is possible they could have done the same to Earhart and Noonan.
While all this may seem terrifying, the London Museum of Natural History notes that the coconut crabs do not even own the distinction of being the largest crabs in the world. That honor belongs to the Japanese spider crab, a species that can grow as large as 12 feet from claw to claw.
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