Remarkably, Xu is reported to have found the counterpart slab in a Chinese collection, but it did not authenticate the assembly on display at the National Geographic Society. It appears that two separate fossils had been joined together. 15 Philip Currie could no longer accept the authenticity of Archaeoraptor and expressed true remorse for having been duped. Red-faced and downhearted, paleontologists are growing convinced that they have been snookered by a bit of fossil fakery from China. The events surrounding Archaeoraptor provide a rare peek into the ideological and journalistic slant that can be placed upon public promotion of a missing link.
Editorial propaganda needs to be countered with attention to detail and empirical evidence.
New birdlike fossils are missing links in dinosaur evolution. 3 NGS press release October 15, 1999. 4 NGS press release October 15, 1999. 5 NGS press release October 15, 1999. 11 Olson, open letter dated November 1, 1999.