Re: Minotaurasaurus controversy

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Quoting Tim Williams <tijawi@yahoo.com>:

> 
> http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090202/full/news.2009.60.html?s=news_rss
> 
> 
> Paper sparks fossil fury
> ------------------------
> 
> Palaeontologists criticize publication of specimen with questionable origin.
> 
> Rex Dalton
> 
> Palaeontologists are criticizing a new article on an armoured dinosaur fossil
> because the 80-million-year-old specimen may have been taken illegally from
> the Gobi Desert. The prominent California neuroscientist who purchased the
> fossil five years ago says he will send it back, to China or Mongolia, if
> someone can demonstrate that laws were indeed broken.

I don't understand the objection to publishing the description. The legality of 
the specimen's 
ownership should have no bearing on it's scientific importance. 

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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