Fossils and ancient artifacts under the mallet
And so the dust sheets are placed on the lots that did not reach their reserve price and the auctioneer deck is put away to be ready for next time and everyone in the scientific community breathes a great sigh of relief. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of rare museum-quality fossils being auctioned at major auction houses around the world. Sad to say, the UK’s first large-scale dinosaur skeleton auction was held recently. “Misty”, an almost complete Diplodocus fossil seventeen meters long, excavated in Wyoming, passed under the hammer.
She (paleontologists have speculated that she was a woman), sold for £ 400,000 GBP ($ 640,000 USD). The fossil skeleton was bought by an unknown and unidentified buyer.
Not the first sale of dinosaurs in Europe
The auction house responsible for the sale, which also included rare ammonites, Pleistocene fossil specimens and a partial ichthyosaur excavated off the Jurassic coast of Dorset, claimed it was the first such sale in Europe. Like much of the pre-auction hype associated with such sales, this was incorrect. There have been other extensive fossil material auctions held in Europe, a mounted Triceratops skeleton that was put up for sale in Paris a few years ago comes to mind. One thing that can be said for sure is that this sale may not have been the first, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Fossils attract buyers
Fossils and other ancient artifacts have become highly prized by collectors and individuals. Many corporations and businesses have also made purchases. It seems that a fossil specimen, especially a dinosaur, is fast becoming a “must have” for the elite. Ask “A listers” Nicholas Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have been involved in buying high-profile fossil material.
“Dueling Montana Dinosaurs”
With a couple of recent dinosaurs, the so-called “Dinosaurs of Montana”, recently put up for sale in New York with a reserve price of close to $ 5 million, the purchase of dinosaur fossils is becoming the reserve of the super rich. The Montana specimen consists of a potentially Nanotyrannus theropod (carnivore), preserved in fatal combat with a likely new species of horned dinosaur. It is a very significant fossil, one that was not sold on the day of its auction, as the reserve price was not reached. However, the fate of this remarkable fossil hangs in the balance and several paleontologists have expressed concern that such material, if acquired by an individual or private institution, will be lost forever in scientific study.
The problem of fossils sold at auction
Specimens sold at auction may not be displayed to the public. This denies access to such fossils for those who would like to visit a museum to see such attractions, but few museums can afford the extraordinary sums of money that these fossils now make. Also, from an academic perspective, one of the principles of scientific research is open access to samples to allow other researchers to test the theories and assumptions made by others. If fossils are not available to them, then the ability to study them under one of the guiding principles of science is lost.
The “black market” for fossil material
The high prices paid for such specimens, after all, a Tyrannosaurus Rex named Sue (also believed to be a woman, like Misty), sold at Sotheby’s on October 27, 1997 for $ 8.36 million, is fueling a “black market” in fossils. Recently, court cases have been filed in the United States related to the illegal smuggling of fossil material. Sadly, this is probably just the tip of the iceberg, as there are several suspected fossil smuggling cases that are being investigated right now. One can see the attraction, a humble farmer who works his land, stumbles on a strange rock for which a local merchant will pay many times his monthly income to own. The stone changes hands several times until that rich foreign buyer takes possession.
Several governments have tried to enact laws to curb such practices, but it is very difficult to monitor the movement of fossils or, indeed, to prove the provenance of any fossil material that comes to light.
The role of commercial fossil traders
While many people deplore the black market for these rare artifacts, it is worth noting the important role that many commercial fossil traders and hunters play. Most fossils are rocks, when exposed on the surface these rocks are subject to weathering and erosion, just like any other rock. The processes of abrasion, freeze-thaw, attrition of all fossils damage and will eventually destroy them. Museums and research institutes do not have the manpower to continually explore fossil beds, but many specimens that would have been lost forever are found, excavated and preserved by commercial fossil traders.
If it weren’t for the efforts of traders, many of whom possess remarkable knowledge and great skill, several important specimens would have been lost to science forever.
Strike a balance
With museums and other facilities cooperating closely with governments and other agencies to crack down on the illegal smuggling of fossils, there is hope. Some degree of realism is needed in the science of paleontology, fossil auctions will be a reality from now on, but perhaps new sale rules could be implemented, as once a specimen is sold the option remains open to allow fossils. to be studied by scientists should the need arise. After all, for the wealthy private collector there are tremendous benefits in public relations. Perhaps a system of licensing or monitoring of the main fossils could be implemented. This would allow a database of material preserved outside museums to be properly cataloged and documented with the movement of recorded material. These measures, along with educating locals when it comes to finding fossils, plus strong deterrents in the form of harsher punishments for smugglers, could give extinct animals like dinosaurs a brighter future. Much better if we limit ourselves to buying models of dinosaurs.
