Re: Second Thoughts on Sue

[Gothgrrl@aol.com]

Jeff Poling wrote: 

>I highly suspect the number is 0.  Without "Sue," there >wouldn't have BEEN
$8 million available.  You shouldn't >assume that if McD and the Mouse were
willing to fork over >the buck$ for "Sue" they would also be willing to fork
it over >for more mundane stuff.

I suspect you're correct, which is why I didn't make that assumption. Sorry
if my post left that impression. Of course, it goes without saying, that this
sort of effort would never have been mobilised for vp in general (it almost
never is), or for most vertebrate fossils going on the auction block. I work
on mosasaurs and was trying to imagine a scenario where a mosasaur could wind
up in the situation that "Sue" was in and be a specimen that was "exciting"
enough to command an 8+ million dollar bid at Sotheby's. I simply couldn't.
Probably not even 1 million (except *maybe* from a private collector).

I know the money could not have been raised for much else but "Sue." I just
find that very regretable. And I do find the use of the word "mundane"
somewhat inappropriate in this context. 

Caitlin R. Kiernan