Re: Fossils/mineral rights

[Crpntr@ix.netcom.com (Kenneth Carpenter)]

>
>The really sad thing about Sue, was that Pete Larson was apparently
>trying to obtain as much scientific value from the fossil as possible,
>and had made access available to other paleontologists.  Eventually,
>Sue was to be the centerpiece in a new museum (in Hill City I believe).
>Now, greed and egos have made it a real possiblity that Sue could
>end up outside this country, owned by the highest bidding, eccentric
>collector, with no guarantee of public display or further study.
>


You are correct.  Phil Currie and I have looked at the specimen and I am 
describing the forearm.  It is unfortunate that so many professional 
paleontologists jumped on the bandwagon alleging that the BHI was going 
to sell Sue, and that the government was going to protect the scientific 
integrity of the specimen.  Because the government has given the 
specimen to Williams, it is obvious the government could care less about 
its scientific importance.  It is interesting that the whole focus of 
the case against BHI has changed and has NOTHING to do with Sue.  Having 
read the Federal charges against BHI, I find it odd that there are pages 
and pages of allegations of missleading owners of private land (among 
other things), but nothing about illegal collecting on government land. 
 If BHI collected improperly on private land, that is a matter for Civil 
courts, not Federal.  So what is really going on here?  I smell a dead 
fish.