Abstract
Fossils have fascinated mankind for millennia. They provide clues about the great intrigue of the past history of life. Unfortunately some fossils are not well preserved, and some things we call fossils are not fossils at all. Our fascination with fossils and what they represent can cause us to sometimes "see" what we want to see instead of what is really there. Some of the most intense scientific battles have been about the proper identification of objects which some consider to be genuine fossils and others consider to be false fossils. Examples of false fossils warn us to be cautious, especially when dealing with ill defined objects which, in spite of varied claims, may or may not be real fossils.