Claim CC002:
Nebraska Man (Hesperopithecus haroldcookii) was described on the basis
of a single tooth that turned out to come from a peccary. This tooth was
used to construct an entire species, complete with illustrations of the
primitive man and his family.
Source:
Gish, Duane T., 1985. Evolution: The Challenge of the Fossil Record.
El Cajon, CA: Creation-Life Publishers, pp. 187-188.
Response:
- The tooth was never held in high regard by scientists. Osborn, who
described it, was unsure whether it came from a hominid or from another
kind of ape, and others were skeptical that it even belonged to a
primate. The illustration was done for a popular publication and was
clearly labeled as highly imaginative.
Nebraska Man is an example of science working well. An intriguing
discovery was made that could have important implications. The
discoverer announced the discovery and sent casts of it to several
other experts. Scientists were initially skeptical. More evidence was
gathered, ultimately showing that the initial interpretation was wrong.
Finally, a retraction was prominently published.
Links:
Foley, Jim, 2001. Creationist arguments: Nebraska Man.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/a_nebraska.html
Mellett, James S. and John Wolf, 1985. The role of "Nebraska man" in the
creation-evolution debate. Creation/Evolution 16: 31-43.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/wolfmellett.html
Further Reading:
Gould, S. J., 1991. An essay on a pig roast. In Bully for
Brontosaurus,
pp. 432-47. New York: W.W.Norton.
created 2003-4-15
