Inside The Dinosaur Fossil Black Market

Episode 3 of 5

In the US, fossils collected on private land may be sold by the rightful owner of the land. This makes it extremely difficult for museums to acquire because private collectors drive up prices.

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Sources:

Buying Fossils - Law, Ethics, & Forgeries:

“Hello! Have you been eyeballing a fossil somewhere on ebay? As a paleontologist, please let me offer a few comments concerning the legality and ethics of buying fossils."

The Dinosaur Fossil Wars:

“Frithiof's world caved in. After devoting years to Tinker, the prospector was suddenly in danger of going to jail for his efforts."

Find A Dinosaur In Your Backyard? It’s All Yours:

“In the United States, the fossilized remains of the mighty creatures that lived in eons past are subject to an age-old law—'finders keepers.' In America, if you find a dinosaur in your backyard, that is now your dinosaur."

Clashing Titans For Sale:

“Many paleontologists agree that two fossilized dinosaur skeletons found in the Hell Creek formation in Montana might be a major discovery."

Dinosaur Fossils A Booming Business On World’s Black Market:

“The public has long had a fascination with dinosaurs. But that intense interest has led to an illegal and lucrative market in smuggled dinosaur bones."

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TestTube Plus is built for enthusiastic science fans seeking out comprehensive conversations on the geeky topics they love. Host Trace Dominguez digs beyond the usual scope to deliver details, developments and opinions on advanced topics like AI, string theory and Mars exploration. TestTube Plus is also offered as an audio podcast on iTunes.

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[SaulOhio]

I believe that the right rules allowing more fossil hunting for profit would help promote the science even more. Just require fossil hunters to document their finds properly so that all the relevant scientific data is preserved, and let the people who discover them, on public or private land, to keep and sell them. This would bring the fossil trade out of the black market and into the light. Fossil hunters would then be happy to let experts examine them. Proper examination and authentication by experts would increase the fossil's value, motivating a sharing of information and encouraging more amateurs to join in the hunt.

[Prairielander]

My grandfather was an engineer used to work for Alberta Transportation
and he found tonnes of fossils while building highways throughout
Alberta. He gave me some, which I still have. He also said at the time
if they had to stop and dig up all of them nothing would have ever got
built so many were paved over for the roads.

[OpinionValid]

This guy explains things like a wise uncle, I feel like this guys speaks to my inner child. Not a bad thing.

[PozitiveBalance]

I dug up a little fossil when i was in Alberta and i didn't find out until after i got home it was illegal to take fossils haha.

[biggibbs]

What makes you feel entitled to the fossils that other people spent the time finding and digging up?

[scottbainbridge]

I'd clone a Protoceratops so I'd never have to mow the lawn

[rnbnatl]

Simple solution. What say I "own" the fossil I dig up, loan it to a museum, university, what ever, for study / display, and then what ever $ I can make from producing high quality replicas ( like the afore mentioned T. Rex fossils ) is mine to keep. Everyone wins !

[captainredbeard]

"Hell Creek, Montana." Sounds like a hell of a place to live.

[mateogonzalez]

love this podcast ☺so entertaining and so informative! I like this week's topic especially!

[AEther]

I bet dinosaurs never thought they would be this popular millions of years in the future. Probably because they probably weren't capable of thinking on that level.

[MakoSDV]

The price of something is how much someone is willing to pay for it. Black markets will always exist as long as governments put artificial restrictions on free trade.

[willwinn]

No private collections, that stinks, why bother ..
So just leave everything undiscovered and forget it huh..sad... Everyone needs a private fossil collection 😎👍

[Jerry-iwsn]

lol it's funny when you see someone selling dinosaur fossils and you are like... "yeah... seems legit.."
but when you see someone dig up your dead dog's skeleton and tries to sell it, you are like... "what the shit... that's fucked up..."

[Thecohostobviouzx]

By that logic with fossils, if anyone finds gold or precious resources on their land, then everyone owns it.

[johnhormaza]

the T-rex in the discovery channel building isn't real, it's cast resin molded from another rex, probably same with the one at Google headquarters.( you can tell cause the frame/structure is on the inside) real bones have an external frame because they're alot heavier and they don't want to drill into the bones. Still super cool and glad they are casts, because real ones "belong in a museum! " :)

[optimus]

why you say you cant clone a dinosaur .. the best documentary ever Jurassic park told us we can .

[CraftnMomma]

Absolutely shocked they didn't go into the story of Sue the T Rex. Watch Dinosaur 13 on netflix.

[kenyaw]

This message is from my 10 year old daughter: "Well, I would want the T-Rex as my pet. I understand how dangerous they are but if possible it would be awesome. I grew up liking triceratops and brontosaurus but wondered why they were never in my dreams. They don't exist! Thank you are messing up my childhood TestTube!"

[thetiminator]

idea for new series: Video Games.
things like effects on gamers, evolution of gaming, future of gaming, etc.
and im sure trace will love to do this series

[tostrye]

Check out the movie Dinosaur 13. Its about a guy that dug up a T Rex "illegally" and got 2 years in the slammer.
I want to clone the dinosaur that looks like it has balls on its head. Ankylosaurus I think