I was doing some research involving Aleš Hrdlička, and ran across this curious item published in Science in 1926 ("Human tails: a statement and correction"), written by W. W. Keen:
The correction I wish to make is as follows: In my book "I Believe in God and in Evolution," I have included in the fourth edition a photograph of an Igorot with a tail, which I vouched for as I understood that it had been photographed by my own grandson, Mr. John Freeman.
A few days ago within a few hours of each other, I received letters from Dr. Aleš Hrdlička, of the division of physical anthropology of the National Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, and Mrs. Ella F. Grove, who a year ago had been doing some work in the Philippines for the National Research Council. Both of these correspondents stated that the Bureau of Science in Manila had shown them the original of this photograph which showed that it was a fake photograph, the tail having been added to the original by a photographer, I suppose as a joke.
On communicating with my grandson I find that I misinterpreted his letter and that he did not photograph this Igorot.
My argument that human tails (of which I have shown that there are many undoubted instances) prove our animal ancestry is not in the least disproved by my having unfortunately used a photograph which further investigation has shown to be a fraud, for there are plenty of genuine tails.
