Re: Selling of specimens (fwd)

[JCMcL <darwincr@laplaza.taos.nm.us>]

On Fri, 24 May 1996, Edward L. Stanton wrote:

> Hi John,
> This fossil was found on private land, and can be aquired by a member of 
> the public, that's what I meant by the public domain. Dr Detrich doesn't 
> own this, the south dakota farmer does. Dr Detrich has researched the best 
> possibilities for donation to specific museums and is endeavoring to make 
> this happen. Dirty money? This isn't arms dealing, or a cocaine cartel.
> Its just a farmer who found it on his land and engaged Dr Detrich to properly
> recover and prepare it. Relax John, moralistic kneejerking does not 
> become you.
> 
> Surprised,
> Ed

Here is an update on the ten million dollar tyrannosaur!
As you see, I took "public domain" to mean public land, as did most of 
the other folk who saw and responded to the original advertisment.  No 
prior posting mentioned that the fossils were found on private land.  
This latter fact of course changes the entire situation!

Also, no mention of "donation" was made in prior advertisments; only a 
price, the abovementioned ten million dollars.  Having originally 
mistakenly thought that the specimen was found in "public domain," i.e., 
on public land, I felt it a tad unclean to attempt to sell same for ten 
million.  Of course, a private farmer may do anything he pleases, 
presumably, with what he finds on his land.

If I were such a farmer, I'd donate it to a museum after making
certain that the museum would bring schoolchildren, lay citizenry, and
others to observe and participate in the process of excavation and
restoration.  Cool!

Anyway, so much for the Ten Million Dollar Tyrannosaur.

John C. McLoughlin