Dinosaurs and other fossils sound at auction: the pros and cons

Fossils and ancient artifacts under the mallet

And so the dust sheets are removed from those lots that did not reach their reserve price and the auctioneer’s deck is put away ready for the next time and everyone in the scientific community breathes a sigh of relief. In recent years there has been an increasing number of rare, museum-quality fossils being auctioned at major auction houses around the world. Sadly, the first large-scale auction of a dinosaur skeleton was recently held in the UK. “Misty,” a nearly complete 55-foot-long Diplodocus fossil excavated in Wyoming, passed under the hammer.

She (palaeontologists have speculated that she was a female), fetched £400,000 (US$640,000). The fossil skeleton was purchased by an unknown and unknown buyer.

It is 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 from Dorset’s Jurassic coast, claimed this 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 auctions of extensive fossil material in Europe, a mounted Triceratops skeleton 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 sought after 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. Just ask the likes of “A listers” Nicholas Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have been involved in high-profile purchases of fossil material.

“Montana Dinosaur Duel”

With a pair of recent dinosaurs, the so-called “Dueling Dinosaurs of Montana,” recently put up for sale in New York with a reserve price of around $5 million, buying dinosaur fossils is becoming the reserve of the super rich. The Montana specimen consists of a theropod (carnivore) potentially a Nanotyrannus, preserved in fatal combat with a probably new species of horned dinosaur. It is a very significant fossil, which was not sold on the day of its auction, since 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 obtained by a private person or institution, will be lost to scientific study forever.

The problem of fossils sold at auction

Specimens sold at auction may not be displayed publicly. This denies access to such fossils to those who would want to visit a museum to see such attractions, but few museums can afford the extraordinary sums of money these fossils now generate. 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” of fossil material

The high prices paid for such specimens, after all, a tyrannosaurus rex Named Sue (also believed to be female, like Misty), she was sold at Sotheby’s on October 27, 1997 for $8.36 million, fueling a “black market” for 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 cases of fossil smuggling being investigated at the moment. One can see the attraction, a humble farmer who works his land, stumbles upon a strange rock that a local merchant will pay many times his monthly income to own. The rock changes hands several times until that rich foreign buyer takes possession.

Various governments have attempted 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 fuel distributors

While many people deplore the black market for these rare artifacts, it is worth noting the important role played by many fossil dealers and commercial fossil hunters. Most fossils are rocks, when exposed on the surface these rocks are subject to weathering and erosion, just like any other rock. Abrasion, freeze-thaw, weathering processes all damage fossils and will eventually destroy them. Museums and research institutes do not have the manpower to continually explore fossil sites, but thanks to commercial fossil dealers many specimens that would have been lost forever are found, excavated and preserved.

Were it not for the efforts of traders, many of whom possess remarkable knowledge and skill, a number of 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 illegal fossil smuggling, there is hope. A degree of realism must descend upon the science of paleontology, fossil auctions are going to be a given from now on, but perhaps new rules about the sale could be implemented, such as once a specimen is sold, the option remains open to allow fossils. to be studied by scientists if necessary. After all, for the wealthy private collector there are huge PR gains to be made. Perhaps a licensing or tracking system for major fossils could be implemented. This would allow a database of material found outside of museums to be properly cataloged and documented and the movement of the material to be recorded. These measures, along with educating locals when it comes to finding fossils, plus strong deterrents in the form of tougher punishments for smugglers, could give extinct animals like dinosaurs a brighter future. Much better if we limit ourselves to buying dinosaur models.