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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