References
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM):
at the Natural History Museum - How the SEM works:
from the Museum of Science - Methods for examining specimens:
the use of scale in scientific study
Piltdown man
Click on the pictures to see how scientists have re-examined the Piltdown jaw today to determine which species it belonged to.
Examining the teeth
The X-rays that Underwood took of the Piltdown teeth were poor quality. Today's X-ray machines would produce clearer pictures of the Piltdown teeth. In order to truly judge whether the teeth were from a chimp or a human, scientists would also need to compare the Piltdown X-ray with the X-ray of a human jaw. Modern scanning electron microscopes and isotope analysis could reveal crucial information about the identity of the Piltdown jaw and teeth.
