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Fake fossils
From: Ben Creisler
bscreisler@yahoo.com
A new article:
Alastair Ruffell, Niall Majury, William E. Brooks (2011)
Geological Fakes and Frauds.
Earth-Science Reviews (advance online publication)
doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2011.12.001
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825211001735
Some geological fakes and frauds are carried out solely for financial gain
(mining fraud), whereas others maybe have increasing aesthetic appeal (faked
fossils) or academic advancement (fabricated data) as their motive. All types
of geological fake or fraud can be ingenious and sophisticated, as demonstrated
in this article. Fake gems, faked fossils and mining fraud are common examples
where monetary profit is to blame: nonetheless these may impact both scientific
theory and the reputation of geologists and Earth scientists. The substitution
or fabrication of both physical and intellectual data also occurs for no direct
financial gain, such as career advancement or establishment of belief (e.g.
evolution vs. creationism). Knowledge of such fakes and frauds may assist in
spotting undetected geological crimes: application of geoforensic techniques
helps the scientific community to detect such activity, which ultimately
undermines scientific integrity.
Includes:
3. Aesthetic and Academic Fakes and Frauds
3.1. Background
3.2. Palaeontology
3.2.1. Beringer Tricked
3.2.2. Cuvier's accusations of Mary Annings Plesiosaur
3.2.3. Deprat and the Substituted Trilobites
3.2.4. Gupta--Possibly the Greatest Palaeontological Fraudster
3.2.5. Baugh's faked human footprints
3.2.6. Modern Insects in Amber
3.2.7. Faked Feathered Dinosaur