Should This Skeleton Be For Sale?

Many scientists would say no.

Why? Studying fossils helps reveal what ancient animals and plants on Earth were like. Each remnant potentially holds thrilling clues to what an animal ate or how it behaved.

But when fossils are sold to private buyers and kept in people’s homes or offices, scientists may not get the opportunity to examine them.

“It’s like hiding away a key puzzle piece that could provide valuable information about our planet’s past,” says Lara Sciscio, a scientist who studies dinosaur tracks.

And it’s not just scientists who deserve access to fossils, says Sciscio. “Fossils belong to everyone- they’re part of our Earth’s history.”

For most people, visiting a museum is the only way to view dinosaur remains in person. And without opportunities to see fossils in museums, what would inspire future generations of paleontologists?

But at auctions, museums often can’t afford to pay what wealthy private collectors can.

On the other hand, unearthing fossils is hard work. The precious remains are often buried in layers of rock, requiring special tools to carefully remove them. After that, the ancient rocks must be cleaned and prepared for display. For major finds, this can take thousands of hours—and a lot of money. This job is often done by fossil hunters. Some are trained scientists, while others are eager dino fans hoping to stumble on something exciting.

To make a living—and to be able to fund future searches—fossil hunters need to be able to sell their finds. If they aren’t compensated for their time and effort, many fossil hunters might not be able to continue their work. And without fossil hunters, many specimens might never be found. Or worse, they might disappear.

“There are more fossils that wash away in rainstorms every year than there are people out there to find them and properly collect them,” says Jacob Jett, a fossil hunter in Colorado.

According to Jett, if people see they can make a living from fossil hunting, more people will want to go out and search, and more fossils will be found.

And there are certainly many important fossils left to find. Scientists estimate that millions of dinosaur fossils remain undiscovered. This makes sense considering dinosaurs roamed the planet for 150 million years, leaving traces of themselves on every continent.

Some fairly common fossils, like teeth and eggshells, offer little new information. Maybe it doesn’t matter who buys such fossils or who has access to them.

Specimens like Apex, however, are incredibly rare. It’s among the largest and most complete Stegosaurus skeletons ever located. Perhaps the ideal compromise would be that individuals are allowed to buy fossils, but scientists and the public must be given access to noteworthy finds.

For instance, the paleontologist who unearthed Apex invited experts to examine it before the auction. And the businessperson who bought Apex has expressed interest in loaning the skeleton to a museum. So maybe you will get a chance to see it after all.