Could the world's largest terrestrial crabs be responsible for Amelia Earhart's disappearance?

Nature · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The coconut crab is a massive, nocturnal predator capable of crushing coconuts with ease. But some researchers suggest these scavengers may have played a much more macabre role in history, potentially consuming the remains of a legendary aviator on a remote Pacific atoll.

The coconut crab is the largest terrestrial arthropod on the planet, inhabiting islands across the Pacific and Indian oceans. These formidable crustaceans can reach a width of three feet and weigh up to nine pounds. To sustain such size, they rely on a highly developed sense of smell, using antennae to locate food. While their diet primarily consists of soft coconut meat, they are opportunistic scavengers that consume fruit, leaves, and even the molted exoskeletons of other crustaceans to acquire calcium.

This scavenging instinct extends to much larger prey. Coconut crabs have been observed eating chickens, kittens, and even other members of their own species. This predatory capability has fueled a compelling, though controversial, hypothesis regarding the fate of Amelia Earhart. One theory suggests that rather than drowning in the Pacific, Earhart crash-landed on the remote Nikumaroro atoll, where she may have been overwhelmed by coconut crabs.

To investigate this, researchers have used experimental models to simulate marine decomposition and scavenging. For instance, Dr. Anderson has utilized pig carcasses to study how bodies decompose in the sea. In a 2007 study related to the Earhart mystery, researchers used a small pig carcass to assess the scavenging potential of coconut crabs. While findings showed that bones could be quickly removed and scattered, the theory remains unsettled. Skeptics suggest the skeletal fragments found on the island in 1940 might simply belong to another unidentified castaway, and that Earhart may have died upon impact during her crash.

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