The so-called Piltdown man was once considered an unusual and perplexing human ancestor, but it turned out to be the jaw of a young orangutan attached to a Homo sapiens skull. What dating technique exposed the Piltdown fraud?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fluorine absorption analysis was the technique used to expose the Piltdown fraud. This method compares the amount of fluorine absorbed by bones from surrounding soil and groundwater. The discrepancy in fluorine content between the skull and the jawbone indicated they were not from the same time period, revealing the hoax.

The So-Called Piltdown Man Was Once Considered an Unusual and Perplexing