Piltdown Hoax

The Piltdown fossil was found around 1907 in England and presented to the world in 1912, but it later turns out that it was a hoax and Charles Dawson was the one responsible. It was not until 1953, that scientists realized it was a fraud.  It was only when a scientist at the University of Oxford used their new technology to discover that the bones were different ages.  The “supposed” scientific significance would have been that it would supported the hypothesis that humans evolved from apes. The response from the science community was diverse where some believed that the fossil was genuine, while others criticized it because they were not sure that the jawbone and the skull belonged to the same creature.

    Some of the faults that contributed to the negative impact to the scientific process was greed, jealousy, and pride. In Germany, Spain, and France, many Neanderthal (evidence of early man) were being discovered in large quantities and Britain was starting to feel left out. Greed comes into play when Britain believes that it has found the fossil that would connect the relationship between man and apes that backs Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Dawson was so desperate to make his name known that he forged artifacts that he had found. He was intelligent enough to do it though in a way that it answers scientists’ questions. Scientists look for the answers that they want.

    The hoax was discovered thanks to the new technology at the time, fluorine dating. Fluorine dating is a process where groundwater is poured on the bones and older bones absorb the fluoride in it much more rapidly than recent bones. This showed how there were many bones of different ages. Also, they found a putty substances at the end of the bones which were used to cover up the cracked parts of the skull or “mistakes” that had been made when forging it. There were also pebbles stuffed inside in order to weigh the skull down since fossilized bones are heavier than recent ones.

    I would not want to remove the human factor from science because even though humans make errors and are tempted at times, they are still the most driven to find discoveries and answers to their questions. Without the curiosity of humans, many questions would not have even been raised, hence many discoveries would not have been made by determined scientists.

    A lesson that I have learned from this historic event is to not trust evidence that has not come from a reliable source. If you or a professional cannot verify its legitimacy then I would not trust it because the repercussions can be costly, not only to me, but to the world.