Oxytropidoceras Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 FBI Hands Over Fossils to Brazilain Authorities in Delaware by John Rawlins, WPVI Action News, March 02, 2015 http://6abc.com/news/fbi-hands-over-missing-fossils-to-brazilian-authorities-in-delaware/540982/ FBI returns stolen Brazilian fossils by Robin Brown, The News Journal, March 2, 2015 http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/03/02/fbi-returns-stolen-brazilian-fossils/24265757/ Yours, Paul H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Seriously? At least 2 of those fish are Vinctifer comptoni, an incredibly common fish. Where do they get their $20,000 valuation from? Why is the case being handled by agents/prosecutors that specialize in art theft? These are not artifacts (i.e. they are not human creations). Displayed in a museum? Sure More likely they'll be thrown in a crate with 5,000 other identical specimens, never to be seen again. Also, whatever happened to journalism standards? Are reporters unable to spell and punctuate correctly any more? What the heck are "$110-million-year-old relics"? Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Wow $20 grand for those? If the government really thinks those are worth that I need to buy a couple from e-bay, donate them to a museum, and then write-off 20G's on my taxes!! (Nice to see the FBI working on important stuff like this since there isn't anything else to worry about right now) For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 The valuation placed on the pictured examples seems to be...unbelievably high. Even if they are uncommonly large and perfect, I don't know how the numbers were set. There are other signs of click-bait press-hype in the way it is written; a forced segue to allow mention of other unnamed high-value fossils (which have nothing to do with these specimens, and are not mentioned to have been illegal sales). There is undeniably a black market in contraband fossils, and this is by definition not a good thing, but this article is written to boost circulation (and views and likes and re-tweets), not to factually expose the practice. Nowhere does it provide contact information for reporting suspicious items... "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Man, the pop up windows in that second link are a pain... Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLprojectmgr Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Seriously? At least 2 of those fish are Vinctifer comptoni, an incredibly common fish. Where do they get their $20,000 valuation from? Why is the case being handled by agents/prosecutors that specialize in art theft? These are not artifacts (i.e. they are not human creations). Displayed in a museum? Sure More likely they'll be thrown in a crate with 5,000 other identical specimens, never to be seen again. Also, whatever happened to journalism standards? Are reporters unable to spell and punctuate correctly any more? What the heck are "$110-million-year-old relics"? Don What happened to journalists is what has happened to photographers. They give iPads to anyone who knows how to operate them and can put up "stories" and pictures yesterday. I have to wonder if the valuation is perhaps to be able to charge a higher crime. Often the difference in a felony and a misdemeanor is the price tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Um.... can't resist.... (....) but the fish "are definitely the oldest," he said. I have crinoid stems that are older yet, so they must be worth eleventy bizillion dollars! With some fossils offered online, the FBI was asked was there a roll for the public? I don't need a roll, but I would like a cookie. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 We fossil forum members should look at the bigger picture that these poorly written and presented articles are telling us. Ask yourself, have YOU collected anything "illegally". My guess is most of us would have to say yes. I myself have, by stopping along interstates to look at interesting rocks, slipping into a posted quarry to take a peek, to walking up a steam bed far enough to have crossed onto property that I did not have permission to be on. For me, I try my hardest to do the right thing by following the "rules". Each time I stray and put my hand into the cookie jar I create a scenario that may make it harder for all fossil hunters in the future. Our infractions are why it is getting tougher. I will try harder. I hope everyone else will too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 The black market is not going to go away, but I am really, really glad that it is being fought. Stealing as a profession is wrong, IMO. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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