In 1912,parts of a Skull and Jawbone Were Found in a Gravel

question 13

Essay

In 1912,parts of a skull and jawbone were found in a gravel pit near the English town of Piltdown,about 40 miles south of London.These were claimed to belong to a human ancestor with a brain about two-thirds the size of a modern human brain,and a large,protruding jaw."Piltdown Man," or Eoanthropus dawsoni as it was named,was conclusively shown to be a hoax in 1953―pieces of a human skull braincase and an orangutan jaw,stained to look old and to have the same color.(The perpetrator's identity is still not certain.)However,almost from the start,a growing number of scientists were skeptical of Piltdown Man.Discuss two facts about Piltdown Man that would have been increasingly difficult to reconcile with the emerging picture of human evolution in the first half of the twentieth century.

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Definitions:

Patriots' Perception

The viewpoint or mindset of individuals who strongly support their country and are prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors, often related to historical contexts such as the American Revolution.

Tea Act

Legislation passed by the British Parliament in 1773, aimed at bailing out the struggling East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the American tea trade.

British East India Company

A historical English company formed for the exploitation of trade with East and Southeast Asia and India, incorporated by royal charter in 1600.

American Colonies

The British territories in North America that declared independence in 1776 to form the United States of America.