The Concept of Piltdown Man - Essay Example

Piltdown man: The Earliest Englishman Part I What object was initially found at the Piltdown site? Who found it? Charles Dawson initially found a specimen of Piltdown man – fragments of chocolate brown thick human skull bones, fossilized hippopotamus, early elephant teeth, and crude flint tools. 2. What did Charles Dawson claim he noticed about the skull? Charles Dawson noticed that the cranium was broken and mixed with the gravel before workmen noticed any part of it. It has also a human-like structure that was combined with the ape-like jaw. 3. How does Charles Darwin fit in to the story of the forgery? In lieu of his theory of evolution, Charles Darwin drafted a sketch of the hypothetical theory created by Dawson. As a scientist, he was fit to the story of forgery as the existence of Piltdown man will complete the “missing link” between the evolution of ape to man. 4. What evidence did Germany, Spain, and France have in relation to the evolution of humans that England did not have? Germany, Spain and France have evidences of early man through the Neanderthal skeletal remains and cave paintings. 5. How did the time period WWI affect the atmosphere surrounding the hoax? The competition between Britain and Germany of who is more superior has impact on the atmosphere surrounding the hoax. The war intensified the rivalry while Germany is claiming that they are the greatest empire on earth. On the other hand, Britain wanted to claim that they are more superior by proving that they are the first birth place of human race. 6. Who was Charles Dawson? Charles Dawson is a country solicitor and an amateur archeologist who brought to the Natural History Museum in London fragments of what he believed as specimen of Piltdown man. 7. Why might Dawson have wanted to be associated with Sir Arthur Smith Woodward? As ambitious as he is, Dawson wanted to build a name in the archeological society. By being associated to Woodward, a Keeper of Geology, he could have academic credibility to support his theory. 8. Who was Woodward? What remains did he and Dawson find at Piltdown? Smith Woodward is the Keeper of Geology. He has joined Dawson in carrying out excavations at the Piltdown site at the end of May and during June 1912. Dawson and Woodward found remains of a fossil man dating from early Ice Age with ape-like jawbone with two teeth, more bits of skull, and several fossil animal teeth, bones, and flint tools. 9. When was Piltdown man presented to the world? What was he called? Piltdown man was first presented to the world at the first scientific meeting of the Geological Society of London in December 1912. Woodward called it Eoanthropus (The Dawn Man). 10. What was the initial response of the science community to Piltdown man? Disbelief was the first reaction of the scientific community, especially among Professor David Waterston of King’s College London, Dr. Gerrit Miller in America, and Professor Boule in France. According to them, anatomically speaking, the jaw could not have worked as a part of human skull when it is constructed in a different way. They also questioned the extraordinary wear of the teeth and the coincidence of finding all the fragments or specimen together. 11. What was the significance of the canine tooth that was found? The canine tooth that was found in July 1913 was a strong support for Woodward’s interpretation because it was worn in a way never found in modern apes. 12. Where was the second Piltdown man found? Who discovered it? What was the significance of this second find? The second Piltdown man was found by Woodward in 1915 about two miles away from the first site. Its discovery is a blow to the opponents of Woodward as most scientists agreed with him. 13. Who was Kenneth Oakley? What was his role in the Piltdown hoax? Kenneth Oakley worked at the Natural History Museum and he was the person who helped reveal the Piltdown hoax. 14. What items were revealed to be forged? How were some of the items faked? Weiner learned that the Piltdown man’s fragments were faked – the teeth had been chiseled down to resemble a human-like chewing pattern and stained with ordinary house paint to look like patina of age and ancient elephant and hippopotamus teeth were planted to the site. The same goes through for the Paleolithic tools, skull, and jaw fragments. 15. What evidence points to Sir Arthur Conan Doyles possible involvement? What might have been his motivation? Describe his character. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the man behind Sherlock Holmes. His possible involvement pointed out to the reasons that he lived near the Piltdown discovery site and had plenty of access to the fossils. In addition, majority of his works of fiction include familiarity with archeology and paleontology. His motive includes obsession to spiritualism and resentment towards scientists who mocked spiritualism. 16. What is the evidence for Dawsons involvement? Describe his character. Aside from being the first person to discover the Piltdown man, Dawson’s involvement to the hoax was closely rooted to his personality. Dawson was ambitious and desperate to have a place in the scientific elite in the Royal Society. He has records of frauds in the field of archeology and his writings showed plagiarized content. 17. Why might Woodward have been considered a suspect? Why might Woodward not have conducted more rigorous science tests on the artifacts? Woodward has been considered a suspect because he supported Dawson. He might not have conducted more rigorous tests because of two reasons: (1) fluorine test was not yet invented at that time to determine the age of the fossil; and (2) he was blinded by his ambition to be known in the society and disregarded scientific judgment. 18. Who was Martin Hinton? What is the evidence of his connection with the forgery? Include a description of his character. Hinton was a museum volunteer. He is a practical joker and an enigmatic man who attracted attention. He is also a bit devious and was a rival of Woodward. His letters revealed his awareness to the Piltdown hoax and the stained bones were found in his truck. 19. What object was planted that might have revealed the Piltdown hoax? What happened when it was found? A bone specimen of cricket bat was found and it has lighted the curiosity about the authenticity of the Piltdown man as Dawson and Woodward claimed that it was just merely a bone instrument and a Paleolithic artifact. 20. What character traits might have compelled some of the scientists to be involved with or taken in by the hoax? When scientists are able to explain things which do seems impossible, it is of great pride and honor among their co-scientists. This could have driven them to accept Piltdown man’s theory. In addition, scientists are also driven by their ambition to prove to the society of their superiority through their knowledge. However, when one scientists gets more attention than the other, their rivalry towards other’s knowledge lead them to question other’s beliefs or invent a hoax. Believing only on themselves, they will tend to support their own theory and disregard the others because of egotism. Part II Skull Comparison between Human, Ape, and Monkey Skull Parts Human Ape Monkey Mandible The lower jaw of the human is reinforced by a bar of bone (the mental protuberance) that strengthens the symphysis (the union of right and left halves of the bone). The lower jaw of the ape is fairly deep and the two halves are fused in the front. The lower jaw of the monkey lacks mental protuberance and is reinforced by an inferior transverse torus or "simian shelf". Maxilla Humans have smaller upper jaw and have no deciduous molars. Apes have sharped pronounced canines in the upper jaw that sit against large lower premolars in the lower jaw. Monkeys have expanded upper jaw to support the large and forward projecting incisors. Read More