write in your own words a short (100-200 words) journal entry that addresses the following prompts. For all journal entries, points will be deducted if one or more of the prompts is not addressed, if an answer is not relevant to the provided prompt or includes incorrect information, or if the word count is not met.
Choose one authentic fossil and one fake fossil discussed in this module (e.g., Cardiff Giant, Piltdown Man, Taung Child, Salem Baby, Lucy, Pachaug State Forest artifacts).
Write a journal entry that addresses the following:
a. In one to three sentences, briefly summarize the evidence used to demonstrate the authentic fossil was real and the fake fossil was a fraud. (1-3 sentences)
b. For the authentic fossil, which piece of evidence do you think was the most important to authenticating the find? Why?
c. For the fraud, which piece of evidence do you think was most important to exposing the hoax? Why?
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Journal Entry – Unveiling the Truth Behind Fossils
Today, my exploration into the world of paleontology led me to uncover the intriguing tales behind an authentic fossil and a fraudulent one. The genuine fossil, Lucy, was authenticated through meticulous analysis of her skeletal structure, which exhibited a unique blend of ape-like and human-like features. On the other hand, the Piltdown Man, a notorious hoax, was exposed through advanced dating techniques revealing a mismatch between the age of the skull and jaw fragments.
The most crucial evidence in authenticating Lucy was her bipedal pelvis, indicating upright walking, a distinctive trait of early hominins. This feature revolutionized our understanding of human evolution. Conversely, the pivotal clue in unraveling the Piltdown Man hoax was the discrepancy in fluorine dating results, which unveiled that the skull and jaw did not belong to the same individual, ultimately debunking the deceitful amalgamation.
