Re: Archaeoraptor liaoningensis

[Ccookk@aol.com]

Tracy and list,
    The thought of suing the seller of the fossil in question raises some 
concerns on my part. First of all what would the Czerkas  sue for? If fraud 
is the charge, that requires some evidence of forthought at deception of the 
buyer. If, in fact, the Czerkas are the considered "experts" and "recognized 
the fossil as scientifically valuable and then contacted a benefactor to 
close the purchase, are they less a part in this? It seems the determination 
of the authenticity of the fossil did rest with the buyers, and they 
apparently accepted that responsibility as evidenced by their actions. Can 
the seller later be sued for simply selling a specimen that he has purchased 
for resale, when it is later discovered to be faked, or at least partially 
so? It seems that the need to validate preconceived ideas, and to garner 
acclaim may have overcome the scientific process here. I am not faulting 
anyone in this scenario, as it is a sad thing all round. I have met and 
talked with the Czerkas, and I find them to be very nice, and extremely 
knowlegable paleontologists of the highest caliber. I also see the human 
side, the side that was the buyer in this case. I hope all of us learned a 
lesson in this story...  stick to the scientific process, and the buyer 
beware. Carl

Carl J. Cook
St. Louis Institute for Paleontology