According to the theory of evolution, both man and animals are descended from a common ancestor. That is, a single animal species passed through many gradual stages of evolution, ultimately developing into the chimpanzee, and finally, homo sapiens.

Even if we take for granted the theory of evolution, there are 'missing links' between these evolutionary stages between animal and man which have still to be accounted for. Where are the species still in the process of evolution possessing both animal and human features? Though no such real middle link has yet been discovered, evolutionists believe that such species did exist and will one day be discovered.

In 1912, the English newspapers trumpeted the news that a fragment of an ancient skull, half, ape and half man, dating back to some nebulous, pre-historic period, had been found at Piltdown, thus providing material evidence which confirmed Darwin's theory of evolution.

This Piltdown Man achieved instant popularity. The name appeared in standard text, books such as R.S. Lull's Organic Evolution. Leading intellectuals counted the discovery among the great triumphs of modern man. In authoritative works such as H.G. Wells' Outline of History and Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy, it was mentioned as though there was no doubt about the Piltdown Man's existence.

For nearly half a century scholars remained enthralled with this "great discovery." It was only in 1953 that some scientists became doubtful. They extracted the Piltdown man from its iron, fire-proof box in the British Museum and subjected it to detailed, modern, scientific analysis, studying it from every relevant angle. Their final conclusion was that the Piltdown Man was a forgery. The great acclaim it had received was totally unfounded. What had actually happened was that someone, who wished to discredit a rival by playing a trick on him, had taken the jaw of a chimpanzee and dyed it to make it look ancient, and had then filed its teeth to make them look human. He then submitted his "find" to the British Museum, saying that he had come across it in Piltdown, England. He intended at a later stage to reveal the whole affair as a hoax, in order to make his rival look foolish, but when he saw the seriousness with which his trick had been taken by the entire body of western scientists, he was afraid to own up, and his silence then prevented positive thinking on evolution for several decades. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1984, Piltdown Man.)