Buzz
When the first illustrations and preserved specimens of the platypus made their way to Europe from Australia at the close of the 18th century, it puzzled everyone. A mammal that swam, laid eggs, and had a duck-like bill. Many scientists were doubtful. Some even examined the preserved specimens, looking for seams that might suggest it was a clever combination of a duck’s beak and an animal resembling a beaver. The natural world is filled with mysteries, and even today, we sometimes wonder if what we encounter is truly real or just another illusion.
Here are ten creatures that were once reported, only to later be revealed as elaborate hoaxes or pranks meant to deceive the public.
10. Archaeoraptor
The idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs is one of the most fascinating in evolutionary theory. Ever since the discovery of Archaeopteryx in the 19th century, with its combination of dinosaur-like traits and bird-like characteristics such as feathers, scientists have sought additional fossils to bridge the gap between the two species. As more evidence has surfaced, it's become increasingly clear that birds indeed evolved from maniraptoran dinosaurs. Any new fossil that sheds light on this connection is considered highly significant.
In 1999, National Geographic hosted a press conference announcing the discovery of Archaeoraptor, which they referred to as the 'missing link' between dinosaurs and birds. The revelation of such a significant find through a popular magazine, rather than a respected peer-reviewed journal, was unusual. Both Nature and Science had previously rejected papers on Archaeoraptor due to concerns over potential fraud.
It was later revealed that the fossil was a composite, created by combining parts of a feathered dinosaur and another separate dinosaur fossil. The tail fragments of Archaeoraptor matched perfectly with the fossil of a known dinosaur, and other parts of the specimen were traced back to different animals. National Geographic later published an article presenting evidence that contradicted their original announcement.
9. Ompax spatuloides
In 1872, Karl Theodor Staiger, director of the Brisbane Museum, was served a most peculiar fish at dinner. The fish had a broad body, a long tail, an unusual head, and a large, spoon-shaped nose. When Staiger inquired about the fish, he was told it had been caught by locals from a nearby river. The fish was already cooked by the time Staiger saw it, but he recognized this as a new discovery and immediately sketched it to ensure others would be aware of what he had been given to eat.
Thanks to this illustration, another scientist, Francois Laporte, was able to identify the new species and assign it the scientific name Ompax spatuloides. With this official recognition, the Ompax was added to the list of known species found in Australia. Given the vastness of the land and the likelihood that Ompax was rare, it was not considered unusual that no other specimens had been discovered.
It wasn't until 1930 that one of the hoaxers confessed. They had created the Ompax by combining the tail of an eel, the body of a mullet, the head of a lungfish, and the bill of a platypus.
8. Piltdown Man
The early 20th century in Europe was marked by fierce nationalistic rivalries among imperial powers. This competition extended even into the field of paleontology. With German and French researchers uncovering evidence of early Neanderthals, it became a source of embarrassment for Britain to lack ancient humanoid fossils. In 1912, everything changed when Charles Dawson, an amateur archaeologist, proudly declared that he had discovered the missing link between humans and apes in Piltdown, Sussex.
The skull he presented seemed to have a human-like cranium, but the jaw had unmistakably ape-like features. This would have been crucial in understanding human evolution. Unfortunately, the skull was damaged during excavation and had to be reconstructed. When the pieces were put together, it revealed that Piltdown man had a brain smaller than that of modern humans.
The discovery was announced as a new species named Eoanthropus dawsoni—Dawson’s Dawn Man. However, many raised doubts about the findings almost immediately. The reconstruction of the skull was questioned, and upon reexamination, it was determined that it could easily belong to a modern human with a typical brain. The jaw and teeth could simply have come from an ape.
In 1953, it was definitively proven that Piltdown Man was a hoax. Dating of the skull revealed that it belonged to a medieval human, while the jaw came from an ape that lived no more than 500 years ago. The fossils had been artificially aged with common chemicals to make them appear much older. Though no one can say for sure who created the hoax, it’s curious that Charles Dawson was the only one who ever found pieces of the fossil.
7. Smaugia volans
On April 1st, the scientific journal Nature published an article about the remarkable discovery of a six-limbed dinosaur. This would have been extraordinary, as all vertebrates are believed to have evolved from creatures with only four limbs. The nearly complete skeleton of this dinosaur, which resembled a large velociraptor (except for its extra limbs), was found by Randy Sepulchrave in North Dakota. Interestingly, due to the connection between dinosaurs and birds, it seemed that this dinosaur might have been capable of flight.
Named Samugia volans, from a Latin word meaning 'to fly,' the dinosaur appeared to have bat-like wings attached to its shoulders. Additionally, the ribs of Smaugia showed signs of burning, unlike any other bones in the skeleton, suggesting they had been exposed to fire multiple times.
Smaugia is, of course, an April Fool’s prank played by the most renowned science journal in the world. The name Smaugia comes from the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit. Even the name of the so-called discoverer, Sepulchrave, is a reference to a character from the Gormenghast novels, who is driven insane when his library burns down and ultimately perishes after believing he is an owl and trying to fly from his castle.
6. Gellisoni fabricata
On another April 1st, in 1939, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported an incredible discovery. Dr. Thorkel Gellison, a visiting Norwegian scientist, was said to have caught the “largest fish ever caught in Hawaiian waters, or any other waters beyond fairy tales.” To emphasize the enormity of this extraordinary fish, the newspaper even published a photo of Dr. Gellison riding the fish as it was transported on a truck through the streets of Honolulu.
The accompanying article described how the fish, Gellisoni fabricata, was caught. Gellison reportedly used dry bait, including a copy of the Congressional Record (because nothing is drier), and a simple Mason-Dixon line to catch the fish, which supposedly required four tugboats to pull it ashore. Gellison was not overly impressed by the enormous fish and commented that in Norway, large fish are commonplace and are sometimes ridden in the sea with saddles. Unfortunately, this giant fish died of a broken heart after being captured. As he left, Gellison cheerfully bid the reporters farewell with a hearty Norwegian “Lirpa Loof!”
Even without the April Fool’s anagram at the end of the article, very few readers would have been genuinely fooled by this exaggerated fish story.
5. Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
Pliny the Elder, the Roman writer, once recounted an octopus that loved to venture onto land and steal food as it was fermenting. Frustrated by the repeated raids, the people built a high fence. But the clever octopus was undeterred, climbing a tree over the fence to reach the food. In the end, it took a mob armed with dogs and large spears to put an end to the tree-climbing octopus’ mischief.
In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, there is said to be an octopus species that spends the majority of its life in the trees. Known as Octopus paxarbolis in scientific terms, it grows to about 1 foot in size and is amphibious. This unusual creature spends most of its time among the branches but returns to the water for breeding. Unfortunately, the Tree Octopus is now endangered, facing threats from habitat destruction and predators like cats and even Bigfoot.
That, at least, was the story promoted by a website that appeared in 1998. Because many people believed in the hoax, it became a case study on how individuals interacted with false information during the early days of the internet. The site was even selected by the Library of Congress as one of 30 websites to be preserved in its Web Culture Archive.
4. Martian Monkey
The 1950s marked a notable spike in UFO sightings. With the space race gaining momentum, science fiction movies depicting ominous aliens, and the pervasive fear of the Cold War, any tale related to extraterrestrials was ripe for rapid spread. In 1953, a police officer in Georgia came across an extraordinary scene: three young men standing near a scorched patch of earth, with a tiny green figure lying in its center. The men claimed to have encountered more of these beings and a UFO. After accidentally hitting one with their truck, the remaining creatures fled back to their craft and disappeared into the sky.
The body of the creature was shown to a local veterinarian, who asserted that it appeared to be something from another world. As the story gained attention, numerous people came forward, claiming to have witnessed a UFO around the time the incident occurred. Was this a genuine extraterrestrial encounter for the United States?
No, it turned out that the three witnesses had staged the entire affair. They had taken a dead rhesus monkey, severed its tail, shaved it, and then dyed it green using food coloring. The deception was uncovered when university professors analyzed the body and quipped, “If this came from Mars, then Mars must have monkeys.” The so-called Mars monkey now resides in the Georgia Bureau of Investigations crime lab museum.
3. Feejee Mermaid
The mysterious creatures dwelling in the ocean's depths have long captivated our imagination. Stories of mermaids date back to ancient times, and countless sightings have been reported through the centuries. In 1493, Christopher Columbus claimed to have seen some during his voyage to the New World, though he didn’t find them as enchanting as their previous depictions. Likely mistaking manatees for mermaids, his disappointment is quite understandable.
Those eager to catch a glimpse of a mermaid in the 19th century needed only to visit a circus or sideshow, where they could view a Feejee, or Fiji, mermaid for a small admission fee. Wealthy collectors also sought to purchase these oddities for their own collections. These dried-up mermaid remains featured a large fishtail, a small ribcage with mammalian arms, and a tiny head filled with sharp teeth. Hardly a thing of beauty.
Many of these mermaids ended up in museums, but none were authentic. Most of them were constructed by attaching fish and monkey remains together, with extra parts added to make the creatures appear even more enigmatic.
2. Gef the Talking Mongoose
In the 1930s, the Irving family lived on a secluded farm on the Isle of Man. When they began hearing strange noises, they assumed it was simply a rat in the walls. Their astonishment grew when what emerged was not a rat at all, but a mongoose—one that could talk. It introduced itself as Gef, a mongoose born in New Delhi in 1852. On one occasion, Gef revealed that he was 'a ghost in the form of a mongoose,' and on another, claimed to be 'an extra, extra clever mongoose.' The Irvings fed Gef biscuits and milk.
The English tabloids had a field day with the story, and journalists flocked to the farm. Paranormal investigators also appeared on the scene. While no one could find solid proof of Gef’s existence, several people claimed to have heard his voice. When the Irvings eventually moved away, the new owner claimed to have shot Gef and presented a body as evidence. However, this body did not resemble the Gef that had been previously described.
Unlike other hoaxes on this list, no one has ever definitively proven that it was a hoax. The daughter of the Irving family maintained that Gef was real until her passing in 2005. Could the talking mongoose still be out there somewhere?
1. Lake George Monster
In 1904, artist Harry Watrous and newspaper editor William Mann engaged in a fishing contest. The winner would be the one who caught the largest trout. When Mann proudly displayed an enormous fish, it seemed like victory was his—until Watrous realized that it was just a wooden replica. In retaliation, Watrous decided to play his own prank.
Watrous recalled, 'I got a cedar log and shaped one end into what I imagined a sea monster or hippogriff would look like. I carved a large mouth, two ears resembling those of a donkey, four big teeth—two on the top and two on the bottom—and for eyes, I placed two green glass telegraph pole insulators in the sockets.' He then attached the log to a rope, which allowed him to move it from the shore. The next time Mann was out fishing with guests, Watrous pulled the rope and released the creature. One guest screamed while another struck it with her parasol. Watrous then began to pull the monster back under the water, making it appear randomly around Lake George.
The tale of Georgie, the Lake George Monster, quickly became the talk of the town. Watrous eventually disclosed the truth behind the prank, and today, the monster can be viewed at the Clifton F. West Historical Museum in New York.
