‘Barry’ the dinosaur up for sale despite scientists’ concerns over auctions

IF YOU HAVE 1 POINT TWENTY-EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS YOU JUST MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING A DINOSAUR HOME WITH YOU — BARRING ANY HIGHER BIDDERS.

A WELL-PRESERVED SKELETON OF A CAMPTO-SAURUS WILL GO ON AUCTION NEXT MONTH IN PARIS AFTER FIRST BEING DISCOVERED IN WYOMING IN THE 1990S.

THE DINOSAUR —  NICKNAMED BARRY AFTER THE PALEONTOLOGIST BARRY JAMES WHO RESTORED IT IN THE YEAR 2000 — MEASURES SIX POINT NINE FEET TALL AND SIXTEEN POINT FOUR FEET LONG.

THE SALE IS SET TO BEGIN OCTOBER 20TH

THE PARIS AUCTION HOUSE SAYS DINOSAUR SALES REMAIN RARE WITH ONLY A COUPLE A YEAR WORLDWIDE.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, A T-REX COMPOSITE SKELETON CALLED “TRINITY” — MADE UP OF NEARLY 300 BONES DUG UP FROM THREE SEPARATE SITES IN THE UNITED STATES — SOLD FOR FIVE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS TO A EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTOR – THE FIRST TIME A T-REX SKELETON WENT UP FOR AUCTION IN EUROPE.

IN JULY OF LAST YEAR —  A 76 MILLION-YEAR-OLD SKELETON OF A GORGO-SAURUS, A RELATIVE OF THE T-REX – WAS SOLD IN NEW YORK FOR OVER $6 MILLION  TO AN UNKNOWN BUYER. IT WAS THE FIRST SKELETON OF ITS KIND TO GO TO PRIVATE AUCTION.

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS HAS REPORTED IN THE PAST – WHILE THESE AUCTIONS CAN RAKE IN MILLIONS FOR THE SELLER – THEY COME WITH CONTROVERSY – AS SOME SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS SAY THEY’D RATHER THESE PRIVATE SALES BECOME EXTINCT.

STEVE BRUSATTE (BREW-SET-EE) A DINOSAUR EXPERT AND PROFESSOR AT ENDINBURGH UNIVERSITY TOLD THE BBC HE WAS CONCERNED THAT AFTER THEY’RE SOLD THAT THESE DINOSAUR SKELETONS COULD JUST QUOTE “DISAPPEAR INTO THE VAULTS OF PRIVATE COLLECTORS.”

KENSHU SHIMADA, A PROFESSOR OF PALEO-BIOLOGY AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY IN CHICAGO, HAS CALLED COMMERCIAL FOSSIL COLLECTING THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FACING PALEONTOLOGY.

AND P. DAVID POLLY – A PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON – SAID “IT’S EASY FOR ME AS A SCIENTIST TO ARGUE THAT THAT FOSSIL IS IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US, AND REALLY OUGHT TO BE GOING INTO A PUBLIC REPOSITORY WHERE IT CAN BE STUDIED – WHERE THE PUBLIC AT LARGE CAN LEARN FROM IT AND ENJOY IT.”

THOSE IN FAVOR OF THESE AUCTIONS MENTION THE BENEFITS TO RANCHERS AND LANDOWNERS WHERE THESE FOSSILS ARE FOUND. PRIVATE COLLECTOR PETER LARSON TOLD WIRED.COM THAT HE PAYS A YEARLY FEE TO WORK ON RANCHERS’ LAND OR SIGNS A CONTRACT FOR THEM TO GET A PIECE OF THE FINAL SALE PRICE. 

BUT NOT ALL DINOSAUR AUCTIONS END IN THE HOME OF A PRIVATE BUYER. IN 1997 – THE T REX NAMED “SUE” SOLD FOR EIGHT POINT 4 MILLION TO CHICAGO’S FIELD MUSEUM.

IN 2020, THE MOST COMPLETE T REX SKELETON NAMED “STAN” WAS PURCHASED FOR A RECORD THIRTY-ONE POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS – AND WILL END UP AS PART OF A NEW MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY – SET TO OPEN IN ABU DHABI IN 2025.