Should dinosaur fossils belong in museums—or can they be bought and sold like works of art?

When the spectacular Tyrannosaurus rex known as "Gus" was preparing to go under the hammer (and has since sold for a staggering $50 million), it reignited one of palaeontology's biggest ethical debates.

In this episode Dr Dave Hone and Iszi Lawrence explore the booming fossil market and ask what happens when scientifically important specimens disappear into private collections. Is it wrong for billionaires to own dinosaurs? Can privately owned fossils still contribute to science? And why won't many scientific journals publish research based on privately owned specimens?

Dave draws on his own experience working with museums, private collectors and commercial fossil dealers to explain the surprisingly complicated relationship between science, money and ownership. We discuss museums, fossil laws, famous auction sales, and why a dinosaur's scientific value isn't always the same as its auction price.

Questions covered in this episode:

• Should dinosaur fossils be sold at auction?
• Why won't scientists study many privately owned fossils?
• Is it ethical for billionaires to own dinosaur skeletons?
• How do fossil auctions affect palaeontology?
• Could private ownership ever benefit science?
• Why are some fossils worth tens of millions of dollars?

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https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards

You can watch this as a video on youtube here: https://youtu.be/TaLWBc-4vvE

In this archive discussion, Iszi Lawrence and Dr Dave Hone answer listener questions about museum exhibits, dinosaur reconstructions, Spinosaurus, and which prehistoric animal could become the next global superstar.

You can watch this episode on youtube here: https://youtu.be/AL5bquwdpcQ

🦖 Harry (age 8) asks:

• We saw Titus the T. rex and the supposed bite mark on its tail — is it really a bite, and what other pathologies does Titus have?

🎨 Phil asks:

• What does Dave think of the life-size Spinosaurus model unveiled in Germany?

🏛️ Listener question:

• Is there a clade-specific or thematic dinosaur exhibition we would love to create or contribute to?

⭐ Listener question:

• Which dinosaur has the potential to become the next major superstar in the way Velociraptor and Spinosaurus did?

Along the way, Dave explains why consultants don't always agree with every detail in a museum display, discusses the challenges of interpreting fossil injuries, and reveals his dream of creating a Dromaeosaur or Pterosaur exhibition.

Support the podcast and get bonus episodes at:

https://patreon.com/terriblelizards

If you enjoy Terrible Lizards, please like, subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with a fellow dinosaur fan. It really helps us keep making new episodes.

With another Tyrannosaurus rex making headlines at auction, we're revisiting this discussion from 2020, recorded just after the famous sale of Stan.

Iszi Lawrence and Dr Dave Hone explore why the sale stunned palaeontologists, what it could mean for museums and scientific research, and whether record-breaking prices change the fossil market forever.

This is an archive discussion, but many of the questions it raises remain just as relevant today. If you'd like to hear more, we'll have a brand new episode on 29th July looking at the sale of large fossils, the ethics of collecting, and how these extraordinary specimens end up in museums and/or private hands.

Support the podcast and get bonus episodes at: https://patreon.com/terriblelizards

If you enjoy Terrible Lizards, please like, subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with a fellow dinosaur fan. It really helps us keep making new episodes.