Dinosaur piracy.
There, I said it. Today I am writing about dinosaur piracy.
A man was arrested today in Florida on suspicion of smuggling illegal goods and the sale of illegal goods. The "goods" in question are the skeleton of a Tarbosaurus bataar, a dinosaur related to the ever-popular Tyrannosaurus rex. (Most news sources are identifying the skeleton as "Tyrannosaurus bataar". This designation is currently disfavored. There is some disagreement about whether Tyrannosaurus and Tarbosaurus should be considered the same genus or separate. They are currently viewed as two separate genera. Now you know more than you ever thought you would about Tarbosaurus.) The Tarbosaur has been impounded by the U.S. government.
So what exactly is dinosaur piracy? I am glad I rhetorically asked that question on your behalf.
"Fossil theft", "paleo-piracy", or "dinosaur poaching" is the illicit collection, excavation, or removal of fossils from where they are accumulated. It isn't meant to include walking into a museum, smashing the glass case, and walking off with a hadrosaur skull; that's simply larceny. Rather, fossil piracy focuses on specimens that have not already been excavated or collected. The pirate collects the fossils from where they are "naturally" found (which may require him to excavate the fossils himself) and sells them for profit or keeps them for a personal collection.
What separates fossil pirates from paleontologists? If you ask paleontologists, it is about ethics. Paleontology is a historical science, like archaeology, that is governed by various ethical codes. In the most general terms, paleontology is supposed to be conducted in a professional manner; for the advancement of science, education, and knowledge; with respect for natural and national heritage; and with a view to placing fossils in the public trust.
But, like so many other things, there are actually laws in this area as well. Various national laws and international treaties govern how fossils can be collected, sold, and exported. Some nations have fairly permissive regimes, while others criminalize any unlicensed excavation or export of significant fossils. For example, Mongolia, where the Tarbosaur in question is believed to have come from, considers dinosaur fossils to be items of national heritage and aggressively restricts their export.
These laws exist for good reason. Fossil piracy is a real threat to paleontology. By their nature, fossils are irreplaceable -- dinosaurs aren't coming back any time soon to make more fossils. When fossils enter private collections, they are lost to scientists, enthusiasts, and tourists, possibly forever. As one group of scientists noted, "irreparable damage is done to world science" as fossil collections holding the keys to unique and important scientific discoveries can be quickly lost, hidden, or destroyed. When held in the public trust by museums, research institutions, and even governments, fossils are available to everyone to explore our world's natural heritage. When they are hidden away in private collections, they are available only to those who can afford these rare collectors items.
Perhaps even more importantly, natural history can give us all a sense of shared wonderment. These fossils predate us, predate nation-states and war and homo sapiens. Dinosaurs and other prehistoric titans capture our collective imagination. Adults and children alike can be captivated by a trip to a natural history museum, where they will learn about geology, history, and the very nature of science itself -- often without realizing they are learning at all. These important items advance our society intellectually and culturally by their very existence.
You can buy dinosaur bones, teeth, and footprints easily on the Internet. (No, I won't link that.) Many of them are fakes. Of those that are real, most are pirated. But even the fossils that are both real and legal are a market that should not exist.
If you haven't been in a while, take a trip to a natural history museum. One with a large dinosaur skeleton. Try not to marvel as you look up at Tyrannosaurus rex or Huabeisaurus allcotus. That thrill, that bewilderment, drives many people on to careers in science or art or mediocre film. It's an experience that does us all good as individuals, and it enriches our culture.
It may sound silly when you hear that a man was arrested for smuggling a dinosaur. But I, for one, intend to visit museums to look at fossils for many years to come. I hope that governments continue their crackdown on dinosaur pirates to make childlike wonder safe for the rest of us.
EDIT: I study law, not science, so maybe I'm not an authority on what inspires children to go into the sciences. That's alright. A friend who is an archaeologist, in response to this post, expressly said what I had hoped to get at. I want to reproduce her comment here because I think her words speak volumes on this issue:
"The only benefit is to the thief and the buyer, when such finds could prove immensely valuable to all of us as a society and a species. If I hadn't been fascinated by dinosaurs as a child, I wouldn't be an archaeologist today. I am just one person, obviously, but the potential that these items have to educate and inspire children should not be underestimated. It should certainly not be set aside in favor of locking these items away in private collections."
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