Archaeopteryx Controversy 
 
Was Archaeopteryx a fraud? Yes, says Fred Hoyle and colleagues;
no, says Stephen Jay Gould . In his article, "The fossil fraud that
never was," New Scientist, 12 March 1987, pp. 32-36, Gould argues
that both the history of the discovery of Archaeopteryx, and a
careful examination of the extant fossil material, disprove the
fraud hypothesis. This article includes photographs of the surface
of the Solnhofen slab (which contains the most famous Archaeopteryx
fossil) and counterslab, showing certain features--such as hairline
cracks and dendrites--which would seem impossible to forge. Those
interested in this question should remember that, however much they
might like Archaeopteryx to be a forgery, if it's genuine--it's
genuine.