Philippine Star news: dinosaur eggs stolen

[Raymond Ancog <rayancog@pacific.net.ph>]

People, I have this bit of sad news to relate to you. I read it on the
front page in today's issue (July 30) of the Philippine Star, after the
Rush Hour, so I wasn't able to page it in for the Random Thoughts. Anyway,
I tried to search for it at the Star's website to no avail, so I just
retyped the entire article. Maybe you might stull be able to find it
somewhere at http://www.philstar.com. After the article comes some comments
from me. Annotations within the article are in brackets.

----------

Beware: Dinosaur eggs stolen from Malate antique shop

Maybe they're trying to hatch their own "Jurassic Park," Manila-style.

Or maybe they thought it was balut or boiled duck eggs.

Either way, two fossilized dinosaur eggs worth P280,000 [US$ 7,300] were
reported stolen by unidentified thieves last Wednesday, according to thw
owner of an antique shop in Malate, Manila.

The million-year-old eggs, which have been fused together and have a
combined weight of 20 kilograms, were discovered to be missing on Wednesday
morning by shop owner Enrique Corpuz, found the padlock to his store on the
second floor of the Arquiza Trade Center Building in Malate to be forced open.

Aside from the dinosaur eggs, said to have once held a pair of baby
triceratops, Corpuz reported that his complete set of Nikon cameras, his
fax machine and an ivory fan were also reported stolen. The missing items
were estimated to be worth a total of P476,000 [US$ 12,400].

"There is no other entrance or exit to the building, except through the
gate where a guard is positioned," Corpuz told The STAR. "Our suspicion is
that the burglars broke in when the day duty guard came and changed his
uniform in the bathroom."

It was only yesterday that Corpuz gave his statement to the Western Police
District (WPD) Theft and Robbery investigstors, however.

The guard on duty, Hernanis Binas, 34, of Grape General Services, told
police that nobody entered or exited the building, located at 1214 Del
Pillar st., corner Arquiza st., during his shift. This was reflected in the
store's logbook, which was filled out between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Corpuz said the eggs, one and a half feet in diameter, were imported from
China months back and have since been in display in his antique shop.

Invesigator PO3 Gordius Alumbro said the thieves apparently also tried to
enter other stalls in the building, as shown by damage to other padlocks on
the second floor, but they were unsuccessful.

A search for the eggs is ongoing, while Corpuz was instructed to make
himself available for future questioning.

(Reported by Jose Aravilla)
----------

Were there Triceratops in China? I also remember watching PaleoWorld on
Discovery Channel, where it was reported that ceratopsian fossils, dated to
be younger then anywhere else were discovered in an area of Australia.

For now, I am preparing an official reaction for the Paleontological
Soceity of the Philippines, of which I am the assistant secretary.


Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog
Mines and Geosciences Bureau
Philippines