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SC mystery Mammoth in the news


snolly50

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Sounds like a bit of a jerk.

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else."

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1 hour ago, Ash said:

Sounds like a bit of a jerk.

I’ve met a few whose main income is from fossils sales. They have been through similar experiences and act in similar ways. Many have invested a large amount of time and effort into it, as well as money. When they find something big they want to have the right to be payed their fair share. If we start taking them without compensation, then people won’t look for them, knowing that whatever they find can be confiscated. It’s also just a mammoth, not that it’s not incredibly awesome to find but it’s not really very scientifically significant. There is a fine line though, if it was super significant then it should be forcibly handed over but the finder should be given compensation (kinda like imminent domain). A jerk, maybe, but at least a reasonable one.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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Hmm, I like how it works over here better - no forced takes, and no one does it for a buck. All our dinosaur fossils etc are donated without any museum payment. Just outta the goodness of most people. Ah well, I don't know his circumstances so shouldn't judge.

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else."

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4 minutes ago, Ash said:

Hmm, I like how it works over here better - no forced takes, and no one does it for a buck. All our dinosaur fossils etc are donated without any museum payment. Just outta the goodness of most people. Ah well, I don't know his circumstances so shouldn't judge.

Yeah, that’s how it should be, and how it works out most of the time here. Typically (as I’m sure will happen in this case) the specimen gets to a museum. One person I know who was in a similar situation told me he will bequeath his find to a museum that refused to pay for it for when he passes.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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Skye and I have decided when we go our collection will go to the museum. Hopefully that's a long way away though!

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else."

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In South Carolina you must have a state-issued permit (available at a very nominal cost) to collect vertebrate fossils from any waterway or public lands, and you must report what you find annually.  By law, the state has first rights to scientifically important finds.  That is the whole point of having a permit system.  If you can just collect and keep anything regardless of scientific importance, why have a permit system at all?  The fellow is complaining that the state won't issue him a permit until he discloses the location of the supposed skeleton.  It seems odd that he is complaining that the state is keeping him from earning a living (selling shark teeth and isolated bones and teeth) by refusing to issue him a permit, when he is making it clear he has no intention of abiding by the terms and limits of the permit. :wacko:

 

Maybe he would prefer the system some other jurisdictions have, where collecting vertebrate fossils is simply forbidden to everyone.

 

Don

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