Cortez, Diana
ANTH Sec.1
8/5/14
Piltdown Hoax
The pre-sapiens hypothesis was developed by Henri Vallois. It is a theory that consists of two different and separate lineages; they are both in the Mid-Pleistocene. Some people believe that modern Homo sapiens have evolved from one lineage, the pre-sapiens. The Neanderthals which is part of the second lineage evolved into the European Neanderthal population who became extinct. The pre-sapiens hypothesis theory is mainly derived from European fossil record. The pre-sapiens hypothesis was believed to prove that the Piltdown (i.e., Eoanthropus dawsoni, a species that was made from a human cranium that was attached to a mandible of an ape) was between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens and that Neanderthals …show more content…
In 1908-1911, Charles Dawson found pieces of a human skull and later in 1911 found other remaining pieces near the Piltdown Common (Straus). Sir Arthur Smith Woodward was intrigued with Charles Dawson’s findings and together they searched the pit. In 1913, they found an apelike jaw in the same area that they found the skull fragments (Straus). In 1916, Dawson died and in 1917 Smith Woodward found more pieces of another human skull and a molar tooth; this soon was formed to be the Piltdown II (Straus). He presented his findings, but a lot of questions arose. In the 1920’s and 1930’s Other discovers were found around the world which didn’t seem to fit with the Piltdown; in 1924, Raymond Dart discovered a Taung child which was the opposite of the Piltdown; taung child had a small skull and man-like jaw. In the 1920’s the international academic community was split in half, some supported the Piltdown and others didn’t. In the 1940’s, Wilfrid Le Gros Clark, Kenneth Oakley, and Joseph Weiner wanted to investigate the findings and not to their surprise, they found that the Piltdown was a hoax (Weiner). Clark, Oakley and Weiner noticed that the Piltdown site had bones and artefacts from different areas and the majority of them were artificially stained; they happened to match the color of the local gravels (Weiner). Oakley tested the jaw and the skull with fluorine test and determined the fossil
ANTH Sec.1
8/5/14
Piltdown Hoax
The pre-sapiens hypothesis was developed by Henri Vallois. It is a theory that consists of two different and separate lineages; they are both in the Mid-Pleistocene. Some people believe that modern Homo sapiens have evolved from one lineage, the pre-sapiens. The Neanderthals which is part of the second lineage evolved into the European Neanderthal population who became extinct. The pre-sapiens hypothesis theory is mainly derived from European fossil record. The pre-sapiens hypothesis was believed to prove that the Piltdown (i.e., Eoanthropus dawsoni, a species that was made from a human cranium that was attached to a mandible of an ape) was between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens and that Neanderthals …show more content…
In 1908-1911, Charles Dawson found pieces of a human skull and later in 1911 found other remaining pieces near the Piltdown Common (Straus). Sir Arthur Smith Woodward was intrigued with Charles Dawson’s findings and together they searched the pit. In 1913, they found an apelike jaw in the same area that they found the skull fragments (Straus). In 1916, Dawson died and in 1917 Smith Woodward found more pieces of another human skull and a molar tooth; this soon was formed to be the Piltdown II (Straus). He presented his findings, but a lot of questions arose. In the 1920’s and 1930’s Other discovers were found around the world which didn’t seem to fit with the Piltdown; in 1924, Raymond Dart discovered a Taung child which was the opposite of the Piltdown; taung child had a small skull and man-like jaw. In the 1920’s the international academic community was split in half, some supported the Piltdown and others didn’t. In the 1940’s, Wilfrid Le Gros Clark, Kenneth Oakley, and Joseph Weiner wanted to investigate the findings and not to their surprise, they found that the Piltdown was a hoax (Weiner). Clark, Oakley and Weiner noticed that the Piltdown site had bones and artefacts from different areas and the majority of them were artificially stained; they happened to match the color of the local gravels (Weiner). Oakley tested the jaw and the skull with fluorine test and determined the fossil