Piltdown Hoax (Noun)
Meaning
A supposedly primitive man later proven to be a hoax.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The Piltdown hoax is considered one of the most infamous scientific deceptions of the 20th century.
- The discovery of the Piltdown Man was hailed as a major breakthrough in the field of anthropology, but it was later revealed to be a forgery.
- The Piltdown hoax consisted of a human skullcap and an orangutan jaw, which were presented as the remains of a previously unknown early human species.
- Charles Dawson, the man who claimed to have discovered the Piltdown fossil, was accused of perpetuating the hoax to achieve fame and recognition.
- The Piltdown hoax is still studied today as a cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific misconduct and the importance of rigorous verification procedures.