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Forensic palaeontology: The Archaeoraptor forgery.

T Rowe¹, R A Ketcham, C Denison

¹High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility, Department of Geological Sciences, C1100, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. rowe@mail.utexas.edu

|March 30, 2001

Summary

The Archaeoraptor fossil, hailed as a bird-dinosaur link, was a forgery. High-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) revealed it was a composite of a bird and a dromaeosaurid dinosaur.

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Area of Science:

Paleontology
Vertebrate Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

The Archaeoraptor fossil was presented as crucial evidence for avian evolution from non-avian dinosaurs.
It was claimed to be a transitional fossil from the Early Cretaceous of China.
Previous discoveries from the region include transitional fossils between birds and dinosaurs.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the Archaeoraptor fossil's authenticity.
To determine the methods used in its fabrication.
To analyze the composite nature of the specimen.

Main Methods:

High-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) was employed.
The study involved imaging the fracture patterns within the fossil.
Analysis focused on the distribution of materials throughout the specimen.

Main Results:

The Archaeoraptor fossil was confirmed to be a forgery.
It was constructed by combining bones from a primitive bird and a dromaeosaurid dinosaur.
CT imaging revealed the specific fracture planes and material composition indicative of the forgery.

Conclusions:

The Archaeoraptor fossil is not a genuine transitional fossil.
The study demonstrates the utility of advanced imaging techniques in identifying fossil forgeries.
This finding impacts our understanding of early bird evolution and fossil record integrity.