Generations of palaeontologists have marveled at a 280m-year-old fossilized lizard-like reptile, Tridentinosaurus antiquus, discovered in 1931 in the Italian Alps.
It is thought to be one of the best-preserved specimens of the species, and paleontologists believed that there were even traces of charred skin on the surface. Now modern imaging techniques have revealed that this precious fossil is actually a carving covered in black paint.
Dr Valentina Rossi, from University College Cork, in Ireland, and her team used ultraviolet photography to look under the paint. Instead of finding the hoped-for soft tissue, they found an elaborate fake. Although exactly when it was made and who made it remains unknown, Tridentinosaurus joins a long list of fossil forgeries, including the Piltdown Man and Archaeoraptor, to name just two. Ancient woodlice-like sea creatures known as trilobites have been a particular favorite for forgery, and natural history museums around the world are increasingly discovering fakes in their collections.
Report in Paleontology, Rossi and her colleagues suggest the problem is growing, with a huge market for fake fossils today. Modern imaging techniques are now helping to expose the fakes, but Rossi and her colleagues are calling for stricter regulations to protect the fossil record, including a ban on painting over fossils.
