Final answer:
Piltdown fit into the expectations of early evolutionary thinkers because it seemed to support the idea of human evolution from apes, but it was later revealed to be a forgery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Piltdown fit into the expectations of early evolutionary thinkers because it seemed to support the idea of human evolution from apes. The Piltdown Man was a supposed missing link between humans and apes that was discovered in England in 1912. It consisted of a skull fragment and a jawbone that appeared to be a mix of human and ape features. However, the Piltdown Man turned out to be a hoax, as it was later revealed to be a forgery. Nevertheless, early evolutionary thinkers were excited by the discovery at the time because it seemed to confirm their ideas about human evolution.