Piltdown Stegodon tooth C016 / 5975
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Piltdown Stegodon tooth C016 / 5975
Piltdown Stegodon tooth (item E.596). Part of a molar tooth of the extinct mammal Stegodon. The amateur geologist Charles Dawson (1864-1916) claimed to have found this tooth, along with bone fragments and prehistoric tools, at Piltdown, Sussex UK, between 1908 and 1912. Analysis of the radioactive composition of the tooth showed that it could not have come from Sussex. In 1953 the finds were shown to be frauds. Held at The Natural History Museum, London, UK
Science Photo Library features Science and Medical images including photos and illustrations
Media ID 9240149
© NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LONDON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Cenozoic Enamel Epitheria Eutheria Forgery Fossil Fossilised Fraud Great Britain Hoax Mammal Mammalia Molar Phanerozoic Piltdown Man Placental Mammal Pleistocene Pliocene Prehistoric Scale Specimen Sussex Teeth Theria Tooth Epoch Piltdown Piltdown Archive Piltdown Hoax Proboscidea Proboscidean
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print showcases the infamous Piltdown Stegodon tooth C016/5975, a significant artifact in the history of paleontology. Believed to be part of a molar tooth from the extinct mammal Stegodon, this specimen was at the center of one of the most audacious scientific hoaxes ever perpetrated. Amateur geologist Charles Dawson claimed to have discovered this tooth, along with bone fragments and prehistoric tools, in Piltdown, Sussex between 1908 and 1912. However, subsequent analysis revealed that its radioactive composition did not match that of Sussex. In 1953, it was finally exposed as an elaborate forgery. Today held at The Natural History Museum in London, UK, this photograph captures both the beauty and deception surrounding this fossilized relic. Against a striking black background, every intricate detail of the enamel scale is brought into sharp focus. The image serves as a reminder of how even respected scientists can be deceived by clever frauds. It stands as a testament to our ongoing quest for knowledge and our ability to uncover truth through rigorous investigation. While once considered an important piece in understanding Earth's ancient past during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, it now holds greater value as a cautionary tale against blind acceptance. This photograph immortalizes not only an anatomical curiosity but also highlights humanity's capacity for self-correction within scientific discovery.
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