BEIJING-Frozen in time, the 5-meter-long ichthyosaur embedded in dark limestone seems to be darting after prey in a turbid Tri-assic sea. But look more closely at the star-tlingly lifelike skeleton here in the Geological Museum of China, and you will see that something isn't quite right. The beast's lower jaw and shoulder girdle are visible, which requires a ventral view--but the lower body is a lateral-dorsal view. Such an odd juxtaposition can mean only one thing, says Li Chun, a marine reptile expert here at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropol-ogy (TVPP): The centerpiece of the museum's prehistoric life exhibit is a composite of two individuals, and possibly more. Specialists and collectors around the world have long decried the flood of sham fossils pouring out of China. But Science has learned that many composites and fakes are now finding their way into Chinese museums, especially local museums.
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