[ad_1]
A nonconformist fossil hunter has put the remains of what he claims to be the "only juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex in the world" put on sale on eBay for $ 2.95 million.
Alan Detrich, who is not a trained paleontologist, lent his unique discovery to the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas (KU) two years ago, that they have been exhibiting for more than a year.
The 68 million-year-old skeleton, dubbed "Samson's son," was discovered by Mr. Detrich and his brother in 2013 on private land in Montana.
The collector has now decided to catalog the bones on the auction site and academics are worried about the move, fearing to see the specimen lost for science and increase the cost of buying fossils in the future .
The researchers say that the study of bones could lead to a breakthrough in the debate over whether these small skeletons are simply immature Rex T's or they represent an entirely separate dinosaur species.
Scroll for the video
A nonconformist fossil hunter has put the fossilized remains of what he claims to be the "world's only juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex" on sale on Ebay for $ 2.95 million (£ 2.26 m). This image shows a reconstruction of the neck and skull of a dinosaur exhibited at the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas.
In the original listing on eBay, Mr. Detrich's sales speech regarding the fossil indicated that it was linked to the university, which prompted the school to tweet about the fact that it was linked to the university. did not participate in the sale. he is still available to purchase for $ 2.95 million on the site
Experts from the Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Bethesda, Maryland, have expressed concern in an open letter because the fossil is no longer available for study.
They also claim Mr. Detrich used the scientific significance of the fossil, including its exposure status to the KU, as part of its advertising strategy.
In the initial eBay list, Mr. Detrich The sales pitch for the fossil highlighted the link with the university, which prompted the school to tweet about the fact that she is not participating in the sale.
The authors, Emily Rayfield, Jessica Theodor and P David Polly, wrote in the letter: "Vertebrate fossils are rare and often unique.
"Scientific practice requires that conclusions drawn from fossils be verifiable: scientists must be able to re-examine, re-measure and reinterpret them – such a re-examination can take place decades or even centuries after the fact.
"In addition, advances in technology, new scientific issues, and opportunities for synthetic research mean that new research often uses fossils that were originally collected for another purpose.
"For these reasons, our company's bylaws explicitly state that" bartering, selling or purchasing scientifically important vertebrate fossils is only tolerated if it is placed in a public account or maintained in a public account. public trust "".
KU has since removed the fossil from public view after anger erupted over the sale and the eBay listing of the article mentioned that it was in La Jolla, California.
Alan Detrich, who is not a trained paleontologist, lent his unique discovery to the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas (KU) two years ago, that they have been restored and exposed for over a year. This image shows bone fragments on an outline of the dinosaur skull
The 68 million-year-old skeleton, dubbed "Samson's son," was discovered by Mr. Detrich and his brother in 2013 on private land in Montana. This image shows bones of the back of the skull on an outline
The proportions of the members of Son of Sampson could lead to new discoveries about whether fragments of small T-Rex found in North America are actually members of a theoretical species of dinosaur called Nanotyrannus, experts say.
This research can not be scientifically conducted until bones belonging to creatures, of which Samson's Son is considered one of the most complete specimens, are permanently available for study, he adds.
"The problem here is scientific reproducibility," said paleontologist Thomas Carr, a specialist in the growth of tyrannosaurs at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Dr. Carr told the magazine that his research was paralyzed by the fact that dozens of known T. rex skeletons were kept in private collections or storage rooms.
"There are about 34 specimens of which I am aware that I just can not study," he added.
Mr. Detrich has now decided to put it up for sale on the auction site and academics are worried about this move, fearing to see the specimen lost for science and to increase the cost of it. 39, purchase of fossils in the future. This image shows the bones exposed to the museum
The researchers say that the study of bones could lead to a breakthrough in the debate over whether these small skeletons are simply immature Rex T's or they represent an entirely separate dinosaur species. This image shows the creature's ribs
Mr. Detrich said he initially shared his rare fossil because "the public must be able to see it," Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Mr. Detrich stated that he and his brother had unearthed the 68 million year old bones of a 4 year old T. rex in 2013 on a property that he had rented for to hunt fossils near Jordan, Montana.
For "opponents" of the academic world who complained about the university connection with the specimen for sale, Mr. Detrich said his message was "you're welcome".
"Please – let my dinosaur enter the museum and be able to show people," he said. "People had the opportunity to see baby T. rex.
Experts from the Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Bethesda, Maryland, have expressed concern in an open letter because the fossil is no longer available for study. This image shows an ilium bone, which was part of the dinosaur's hip
The experts also claim that Mr. Detrich used the scientific significance of the fossil, including its exposure status to the KU, as part of its advertising strategy. This image shows the bones of the left and right femur, or upper leg, of the creature.
In the initial eBay listing, Mr. Detrich's sales pitch for the fossil highlighted the links that unite the fossil to the university, which prompted the school to tweet that She does not participate in the sale. This image shows the bones of the right dinosaur, pubic bone and left tibia
Leonard Krishtalka, director of NHM and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at KU, said in an internal memo that "the intention was to keep the specimen in the museum sphere so that visitors could enjoy until sold to a museum ".
Dr. Krishtalka stated that references to the university's list indicated that the university was promoting the sale in violation of an official contract approved by the university's legal team. .
The museum learned last week that Alan Detrich had "sharply" classified the specimen for sale on eBay without notifying the museum, said Dr. Krishtalka.
In addition to the draw of the display, the museum asked Mr. Detrich to remove all references to the university and other "deceptive text and photos" from his eBay listing, the memo said.
The proportions of the members of Son of Sampson could lead to new discoveries about whether fragments of small T-Rex found in North America are actually members of a theoretical species of dinosaur called Nanotyrannus, experts say. This image shows the bones of the cervical and dorsal center of the creature,
This research can not be scientifically conducted until bones belonging to creatures, of which Samson's Son is considered one of the most complete specimens, are permanently available for study, he adds. This image shows a collection of inner skull bones
Kansa University has since removed the fossil from public view after anger broke out about the sale. This image shows a reconstruction of the creature's lower jaw.
Mr Detrich, who is also known for making religious art from dinosaur fossils, has long been a source of frustration for some members of the scientific community.
They think that fossils should be discovered by better trained people and then donated for scientific studies. Mr Detrich, for his part, insists that fossil hunting is a risky and expensive business.
"Millionaires are not rich enough to buy these dinosaurs," Detrich said.
"I have no problem selling to billionaires because they have enough money to protect this fossil and really take care of it. At a certain point, all these things are found in museums. & # 39;
What killed the dinosaurs?
About 65 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs were eliminated and more than half of the world's species were wiped out.
This mass extinction has paved the way for the rise of mammals and the appearance of humans.
The asteroid Chicxulub is often cited as a potential cause of extinction between Cretaceous and Paleogene.
The asteroid has crashed into a shallow sea in the current Gulf of Mexico.
The collision released a huge cloud of dust and soot that triggered global climate change, eliminating 75% of animal species and planned species.
The researchers say the soot needed for such a global disaster could only come from a direct impact on the shallow water rocks around Mexico, particularly rich in hydrocarbons.
According to experts, less than 10 hours after the impact, a huge tsunami shook the Gulf Coast.
About 65 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs were eliminated and more than half of the world's species were wiped out. The asteroid Chicxulub is often cited as a potential cause of extinction between Cretaceous and Paleogene (image in stock)
This caused earthquakes and landslides in areas as far away as Argentina.
But while the waves and eruptions were The creatures living at that time were not only suffering waves, the heat was much worse.
In investigating the event, the researchers discovered small particles of rock and other debris that were thrown into the air when the asteroid crashed.
Called spherules, these small particles covered the planet with a thick layer of soot.
Experts say the loss of sunlight caused a complete collapse of the water system.
Indeed, the phytoplankton base of almost all aquatic food chains would have been eliminated.
It is thought that the 180 million years of evolution that led the world to the Cretaceous point were destroyed in less than the life of a Tyrannosaurus rex, ie about 20 to 30 years .
[ad_2]
Source link