How a Hoax in England Delayed the Truth About Our African Origins
A Closer Look at Australopithecus Africanus
The story of Australopithecus africanus is intertwined with the Piltdown Man hoax, which convinced European scientists that humans evolved in Europe with large brains. When Raymond Dart discovered the Taung Child in South Africa in 1924, his claim that it was a human ancestor was dismissed. Only after Piltdown was exposed as a fraud in 1953 did the scientific community accept Africa as the cradle of humankind. Today, A. africanus is one of the best-known early hominins, with fossils from at least 250 individuals found in South Africa.
At our deepest roots, we are, all of us, Africans.