Any admitted hoaxes that are still in textbooks?

Question

or is that just a myth? I am talking about "missing links" that were faked for various reasons.

Answer 1

depends when your textbook was published...?

-think before you ask or ask better

Answer 2

Well, judging by the state of some school systems, I'd say they might probably have books from the 50s that talk about Piltdown Man.

Answer 3

Regarding the Piltdown man, there are NO biology textbooks that present this as evidence, and in fact, it is not even mentioned in any of the major Biology textbooks: Biology by Alters & Alters (2006), Biological Science by Freeman (2008), Biology by Campbell & Reece (2008), Bioinquiry by Pruitt (2006), etc. Keep in mind that the Piltdown man was exposed by scientists. Many scientists from America and Europe did not accept Piltdown Man uncritically, and the hoax unraveled when the fossils could not be reconciled with other hominid fossil finds. The fact that it took forty years is certainly no shining example of science in action, but it does show that science corrects errors. Piltdown has been over and done with for decades, but you still hear about it on creationist websites as if it's still a current topic.

Although the scientific checkpoint system may break down (like any other system), frauds, deceits, deceptions, and trickery don't last long in the scientific community. Most scientists tend to be skeptical, and if the work is not replicable or does not hold up to scrutiny, 'frauds' will subsequently exposed for what they are. For example, CAT scanners may be used to see what materials make up a fossil without destroying it. CAT scans also show whether a fossil's materials are natural and whether pieces have been glued together. It can not only find fossil frauds, like the archaeoraptor (so-called "missing link"), but can also document legitimate fossil finds. The point is, you won't find archaeoraptor being presented as legitimate evidence in any current textbook, but you may see it discussed as an example of fraud, as Biology by Alters and Alters, 2006 does.

ADDITION:

Nebraska man: Same answer as the Piltdown man - it's not in any current textbook. The tooth was never held in high regard by scientists. As per talkorigins.org, Osborn, who described it, was unsure whether it came from a hominid or from another kind of ape, and others were skeptical that it even belonged to a primate. The illustration was done for a popular publication and was clearly labeled as highly imaginative. Scientists were initially skeptical. More evidence was gathered, ultimately showing that the initial interpretation was wrong. Finally, a retraction was prominently published. And like the Piltdown man, the Nebraska man has no relevance in any current scientific literature or theory.

Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) - do you believe this to be a hoax? Can you specify why?

Answer 4

Lucy isn't a hoax, there were two fossil finds, that got confused as one, thats why it was claimed as a hoax, the claim is that they found her knee joint several miles away, that wasn't Lucy's knee that was a knee belonging to the same general species, not the same individual.

some people claim Heckles pictures as a hoax that is still used but those were simple drawings that were admitidly out of proportion, be that as it may we still see what Heckle was talking about, recapitulation.

Answer 5

How about Genesis?

Answer 6

There are a number of known archaeological hoaxes. The Kennsington Stone, some "semitic" tablets found in the Midwest and the Cardiff Giant are examples. Most of these were "discovered" by one person working alone, are singular artifacts (nothing like them is known) and further digging doesn't produce cultural items that should be associated with them.

Piltdown Man ranks as one of the most well-known hoaxes in anthropology. While the hoax began in the early 1900s, even today it's not sure who concocted it. In fact the list of possible suspects include Sir Conan Doyle, author to Sherlock Homes.

By 1900, fossil remains of hominids had been discovered throughout the world. There was Java Man, the Neandertals and Cro-Magnon. Those nations that held the sites of such discoveries enjoyed great fame and national pride. England was at that time the greatest power on the planet. At the same time, there were no fossil hominid finds in the country.

In 1908 some fossil finds were made in gravel beds located in Sussex, England. The excavator was Charles Dawson. By 1913 he had discovered two skulls plus other remains.

Based on the skulls he proclaimed Piltdown Man, or Eoanthropus dawsoni "Dawson's Dawn Man." Piltdown Man matched the then current belief that man's brain had advanced quickly while his body remained more primitive. Thus the skulls had large brain cases, like modern man, but with large, ape-like jaws.

Dawson protected the remains closely. After his dig, very few similar fossils were found in the same area, No similar remains were found in England or anywhere else. The only means to study the Piltdown fossils was to use casts made of them. As more hominid remains discovered, it became clear that Piltdown didn't fit. The other fossils had smaller brains and smaller jaws.

In the 1950s the actual Piltdown (not the molds) remains were finally examined. It was discovered that the teeth were that of an ape and that they had been filed and stained. The jaw was that of an ape but the rest of the skull was that of a modern human. In short it was a hoax and when fully examined, an obvious one.

Nobody ever confessed or explained the reason for the hoax. Numerous suspects have been suggested and a lot written for and against.

One aspect about the case should be noted. The scientific method, that of examination and questioning did work. The Piltdown Man was never fully established in human linage and questions were always being made. Had the fossil bones not been so well guarded, the hoax would have been discovered much sooner.