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B51 - The Life and Death of the Piltdown Man: A Phony "Missing Link” and Its Influence on the Development of Racism and White Supremacy in Anthropology.
During a meeting of the Geological Society of London at the end of 1912, Charles Dawson revealed a small collection of fragmented cranial bones, a few teeth, and a partial mandible, all of which belonged to an early human ancestor whose age could not be computed.
B51 - The Life and Death of the Piltdown Man: A Phony "Missing Link” and Its Influence on the Development of Racism and White Supremacy in Anthropology.
Mentor: Andrew Offenburger, Ph.D.
During a meeting of the Geological Society of London at the end of 1912, Charles Dawson revealed a small collection of fragmented cranial bones, a few teeth, and a partial mandible, all of which belonged to an early human ancestor whose age could not be computed. Given the scientific name Eoanthropus dawsoni after its “founder,” Charles Dawson, or dubbed the Piltdown Man, after the location it was found, the anthropological hoax was the subject of much contention during its tenure. In an attempt to “complete” the human evolutionary fossil record, this fabricated phony was presented as the mythical “missing link” that had previously evaded scientists for years.
While the Piltdown Man is now a mere anthropological farce, its exposure discounts its nearly 40-year reign as a legitimate specimen. What were the reactions from the general public? What did this do to the study of human evolution? And in what ways, if any, was this fueled by personal biases and racism? There are just some of the questions I have attempted to answer.