Re: 'Fossils for sale' seized in US


"MoGeo" <maramigua@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1140897820.024277.305050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aidan Karley wrote:
In article <dtpb26$1tk$02$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Alan Johnson wrote:
Evenin' all. What's general opinion on this kind of thing? Naughty,
don't care, good for business and punters?

Hi Alan,
My opinion is: if the material was collected with the consent of
the landowner and/or compensation for it, and in accordance with the
laws at the place of collection, I see nothing wrong
with it. If the material were stolen, it is stolen property, and should
be returned, and the perpetrators prosecuted according to the valuation
of the material..

Collection and sales of various rocks and artifacts in the US is
always under fire from academics, who don't want to see *their* sites
plundered, lawmakers, who haven't a clue, and well-meaning but actually
fairly stupid people who would rather see specimens be destroyed than
end up in someone's living room. Caught in the middle are serious
amateurs who find the law closing in on what has been a legitmate hobby
(and a breeding ground for the next generation of scientists). The
academies and museums here don't have the funds nor personnel to curate
everything valuable. On the other hand, dealers who trash sites purely
for profit are dispicable also, as are people who steal specimens from
places which are clearly labeled as off limits.

I don't find rocks and fossils equivalent to old human bones-- there
are cultural reasons why trafficking in human bones is offensive to a
majority of people. though there is a legitimate exception for
scientific study of burial sites, as long as it is done respectfully.
There are laws regarding the treatment of speleothems in nearly every
US state--and there are 50 different ways they are regarded. That's a
bit confusing. The rationale here is: the cave is more valuable with
the stal in place than with the stal stripped. On the other hand,
there are legitimate ways one can get hold of stal for scientific
studies, use with people who cannot go to caves, and so forth.

I really worry about the future of the earth sciences if those who are
interested in fossils, rocks, caves, etc, aren't allowed to see/touch
the real thing until they are freshmen in college.

Jo

I think the key in this particular instance is that the fossils were
stolen, and because of that, re-sale, particularly in the U.S., is illegal.
Since the government of Argentina has requested return of the fossils, and
prosecution of the thiefs, I think that goes a long way in explaining our
government's actions in this case.

George


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