Fw: Bambiraptor (Tracy Ford replies to Bennett)

["Chris Bennett" <cbennett@bridgeport.edu>]

Tracy replied directly to me, didn't Cc the dino list, and then asked me to
forward it to the list.  So here is what Tracy said:


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Ford" <tlford@ix.netcom.com>
To: <cbennett@bridgeport.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2000 12:27 AM
Subject: RE: Bambiraptor (=comment on comments on Padian paper)


>
> >>I think Tracy may have misunderstood what I wrote.  I wrote that most
> commercial collectors and amateurs do not publish on what they find, and I
> wrote the following:<<
> That's what I get for writing a reply before I read the whole thing.
>
> > I am against journals rejecting manuscripts on privately held specimens,
> > because I feel it is essential to document the scientific information in
> > those specimens in case they are eventually lost or destroyed.
> >
>
> >>Yes, I think that journals should publish good manuscripts regardless of
> where the specimens discussed in them are.  I am at present describing
some
> specimens of the pterosaur Nyctosaurus that were collected by a commercial
> collector and are in private hands.  The specimens are accompanied by
> excellent locality data (Section, Town, and Range), by GPS data, and by
good
> stratigraphic data.  I even have a photo of the locality of one of the
> specimens and could probably go right the hole in the ground and determine
> the localaltiy to within a couple of meters.  If we were to prohibit
> publication of the descriptions, then our science could not use that new
> information provided by the specimens to further our understanding of
> pterosaurian biology and relationships.
>
> I think it essential that we continue to publish on scientically
informative
> specimens in private hands so as to document the information that they
> provide in case they are lost or destroyed.  One might argue that one
should
> not publish on them because the owner might not permit other scientists
easy
> access or any access to the specimens.  However, the possibility that the
> specimen may be lost, destroyed, or unavailable to scientists does not
> diminish the value of the scientific information provided by the specimen
> and should not diminish the value of a publication documenting that
> information.  I think it makes the publication all the more valuable, more
> important.  Note that specimens in qualified museums are also sometimes
> lost, destroyed, stolen, or made unavailable to scientists.  Indeed the
> difference in "safety" from loss, destruction, and unavailability between
> specimens in private hands and qualified museums is only one of
> degree--specimens are generally safer in museums, but they are not
perfectly
> safe.
>
> I totally agree with you on this. I had the fortune (or misfortune
depending
> on how you look at it) of seeing a Psittacosaurus specimen at a local
> Gem/Fossil show. It was from Liaoning and has premaxillary teeth! I was
able
> to take pictures of it, draw it in situ, skeletal and life restoration. I
> with I had the money at the time to buy it. The only thing missing was the
> hands and tip of the tail.
> We should encourage a dialgue between both the commercial collector and
> museum/institutions for the sake of Paleontology.
> And I will also get off my soap box.
> Tracy
> PS. Sorry Kim...