27. The Toxic Mix That Fueled Britain’s Greatest Scientific Hoax
At the time of the Piltdown discovery, there was a growing, and as it ultimately turned out, correct, scientific belief that human evolution from ape to man had occurred in Africa. It was there that fossils of homo erectus, an early hominid, had been discovered. That however meant that the cradle of mankind was in Africa and that all humans were of African origin. The notion that they were ultimately African was too jarring for many Europeans, including many in the British scientific community.
The day’s prevalent racism and ethno-nationalism buttressed British scientists’ confirmation bias, causing them to interpret the Piltdown “evidence” in the light most favorable to their preexisting prejudices. Piltdown Man offered a feasible alternative, and thus a convenient out, from the challenge posed to the era’s racist theories by humanity’s African origins. So leading British scientists embraced the discovery, and defended it against all critics.
