The scientific paper, as expected, is much more reserved in tone. “We do not interpret Darwinius as anthropoid, but the adapoid primates it represents deserve more careful comparison with higher primates than they have received in the past.”
In fact, the most remarkable thing about the fossil was its exceptional preservation – and its shady past. The fossil had a checkered history. It was found by private collectors in 1983 and split into two halves.
One half was doctored up by a Wyoming fossil collector to make it look complete, reported Science Daily. The other half stood on a German collector’s wall till 2006, then fell into the hands of a private dealer, who presented it to Prof. Hurum at a fossil trade show.
Sky News said Hurum had to raise the equivalent of $1 million US dollars to obtain it – ten times the price of rare fossils. No one is saying whether he is hyping the fossil to help recoup his investment.Hmmm piltdown man all over again- Yay science!