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Perhaps the best dinosaur fossil ever discovered. So why has hardly anyone seen it?


Jaimin013

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Why has no one seen it?  Cuz the landowner wants to sell it and no one has the kind of money he wants for it.  So there it sits in his barn.  

 

I did not read the link article but the carnivore involved could answer the T rex slash nannotyrannus question....

 

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 Lots of open mineded paleontologists have seen it and are eager to have it find its way to a museum, indeed some believe it will resolve the Nanotyrannus debate.   I believe it still sits in a warehouse back east where it was attempted to be auctioned off.   The digger just wanted to much money for it, simple as that.   I think the lawsuit that went to the 9th district court over who owned the specimen derailed potential museum buyers.  Now that the case has been moved back to Montana a resolution is expected this year.  When that happens, fingers crossed it will find its way into a good home.

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  • 7 months later...

@Troodon any news on this? I heard from someone that they are no longer privately owned and they're in the hands of an institution.

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25 minutes ago, Jaimin013 said:

@Troodon any news on this? I heard from someone that they are no longer privately owned and they're in the hands of an institution.

Its still privately owned awaiting the Montana supreme court decision on whether fossils are minerals or not.   Ruling can happen any time.

Once this decision is made it will provide an opportunity to sell it.

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4 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Its still privately owned awaiting the Montana supreme court decision on whether fossils are minerals or not.   Ruling can happen any time.

Once this decision is made it will provide an opportunity to sell it.

I heard that was the case but wasn't sure if there was a further update on it or not. Thanks for confirming!

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  • 1 month later...

Why has no one seen it?

 

Greed.

"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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6 hours ago, Ash said:

Why has no one seen it?

 

Greed.

Maybe slightly, but not if you are focusing just on the owner.  As already mentioned, plenty HAVE seen it, its just not in a public repository yet.

On 3/15/2020 at 4:08 PM, Troodon said:

Its still privately owned awaiting the Montana supreme court decision on whether fossils are minerals or not.   Ruling can happen any time.

Once this decision is made it will provide an opportunity to sell it.

This is all just more fallout from Sue.  The case of Sue was a "perfect storm" of greed and jealousy from the govt paleo who tried to take it, the landowner who was told he should been paid much more, a nobody prosecutor trying to make a name for himself and a judge who demanded his be kissed.  The result was worldwide publicity which drove the final auction price to insane levels.  But now that set an unrealistic precedent for valuation.  

 

I'm not against the landowner expecting a fair value for his property, but I also believe this find belongs in a public museum where it can be both studied and appreciated. 

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"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

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7 hours ago, Ash said:

Why has no one seen it?

 

Greed.

 

Presumptuous.  

 

16 minutes ago, hadrosauridae said:

 

I'm not against the landowner expecting a fair value for his property, but I also believe this find belongs in a public museum where it can be both studied and appreciated. 

 

I'm glad private property rights are still protected by law in the USA.  It prevents any bureaucrat from arbitrarily deciding what of my property they deem I am undeserving.

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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It's a trade-off.  On the one hand (favoring property rights), an important specimen is temporarily (or possibly permanently) unavailable for study.  On the other hand (favoring confiscation for science) any property you own could be taken away from you if someone in authority decides they need it more.  Your choice?

 

Don

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7 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

I'm not against the landowner expecting a fair value for his property, but I also believe this find belongs in a public museum where it can be both studied and appreciated. 

Well museums at one time had benevolent donors to provide them the funding for these expensive skeletons.  So museums set the standard for what they were willing to pay at auction houses not the sellers.    Now times have changed but diggers not landowners are still expecting those prices.   Its a good incentive for diggers to keep looking and discovering these wonderful specimens since MOST eventually wind up in museum's to be studied like this one will..   

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Perhaps the answer is something similar to the UK's treasure trove law.  Metal detectorists can hunt all the private land they can get permission for, and keep all the dis-associated and common finds they make.  They are required  to notify a local rep for finds of importance to evaluate.  Maybe its not unique enough, but gets recorded and returned.  Maybe its a hoard that has historic and cultural significance, in which case it gets studied and cataloged and valued.  Museums then have the opportunity to purchase at the set price and the funds go to the finder and land owner.  OF course its not a perfect system and of course some finders complain about undervalued finds, but it does solve the problem of significant specimens goings into public archive while still compensating the finder.

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"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

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^

i like this. Sounds a good system to me.

"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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On 19/07/2019 at 3:26 AM, Troodon said:

The digger just wanted to much money for it, simple as that.  

 

 

 

9 hours ago, JohnJ said:

Presumptuous.  

 

 

Why is it presumptuous when I say it but not someone else, John?

"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 minute ago, Ash said:

 

 

 

 

Why is it presumptuous when I say it but not someone else, John?

 

No need to be defensive, Troy.  Over valuation is not equivalent to greed.  It could simply be a misjudgment of the market.  :)

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Point noted. :DOH:

"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:

 Why is it presumptuous when I say it but not someone else

I know him.  Yes he completely misjudged the market and based it on Sue and he was selling two Dinos in combat.   One was the most complete Theropod ever found.  Has soon as the legal issues, that have been lingering for years, are resolved you will most likely hear it sold. 

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