Fossils are scientific data, not art objects or trophies

Last year, a Stegosaurus nicknamed “Apex” sold at auction for US$40.5 million. A juvenile Ceratosaurus fetched US$30.5 million just last month.

Supporters of these sales argue that they’re harmless, or even good for science. Others compare fossils to art objects, praising their beauty or historical charm.

As paleontologists, we say plainly: these views could not be more misguided.

Fossils are neither art objects nor trophies. They are scientific data that provide a tangible record of Earth’s deep history. Fossils are essential tools for understanding evolution, extinction, climate change and the origins and disappearances of ecosystems.

Their true value lies not in their price tags, but in what they teach. Of course, some fossils are beautiful. So are endangered white rhinoceros, but no one argues that rhinos should be auctioned off to the highest bidder. A fossil’s worth isn’t defined by its beauty, but by its permanent scientific accessibility.

SCIENCE VERSUS OWNERSHIP

Paleontologists are historians of deep time, studying life through millions of years. Our field is a science built upon the same fundamental principles as any other scientific disciplines. Data must be transparent, accessible, replicable and verifiable. For that to happen in paleontology, fossil specimens must be housed in public institutions with permanent collections.

Paleontological research is only scientific if the specimens under study are catalogued in public institutions that ensure access in perpetuity, so that other researchers can examine and continually assess and reassess the data fossils preserve.

That’s what makes the 1997 auction of the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen known as Sue different from today’s fossil auctions. Though it was a private sale, Sue was purchased by a public-private consortium, which included the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) in Chicago, the Walt Disney Company, McDonald’s Corporation and private donors. Sue’s skeleton was immediately placed in the public trust at the FMNH, an accredited museum, and formally catalogued.

Sue didn’t vanish into the private collection of an anonymous buyer. Instead, the T. rex became an accessible scientific resource for scientists and the public. This is exactly what should happen with all scientifically significant fossils.

Increasingly, some of the most remarkable fossils unearthed have gone into the vaults of private collectors. Even when buyers temporarily loan specimens to museums, as with Apex the Stegosaurus, these fossils remain off-limits to meaningful scientific study.

PERPETUAL ACCESS

Leading scientific journals won’t publish research based on them for a simple reason: science demands permanent access.

Paleontological science depends on transparency, reproducibility and data reproducibility. A privately held fossil, no matter how spectacular, can disappear at any time on the whim of an owner. That uncertainty makes it impossible to guarantee that we can verify findings, repeat analyses or use new technologies or methods on original material in the future.

Contrast that with fossils that are held in the public trust, like Sue the T. rex. Sue’s skeleton has been on display for nearly 20 years, and has been studied again and again. And as technology evolves, we address new scientific questions about ancient remains and deepen our understanding of the distant past, one study at a time.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS MATTER

It may be tempting to justify the commercial fossil trade by pointing to dinosaur-themed movies and toys, as if pop culture is a stand-in for real science. That is akin to arguing that paint-by-numbers kits are a good substitute for the art held in the Louvre. High-profile sales mislead the public by promoting the idea that completeness or large size are the only things that make a fossil significant.

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the world’s largest organization of professional paleontologists, has created ethical guidelines to reflect professional research standards. Critics have called them too strict, saying the rules should be “loosened.” But loosening our ethical standards would mean abandoning the very core of the scientific method in favour of convenience and profit.

It is unethical to sell human fossils or cultural artifacts to private collectors. The same standard should apply to dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates. Fossils, whether common or spectacular and rare, are an irreplaceable record of our planet’s history.

FUNDING THE FUTURE

Science should not be for sale. We suggest that fossil-loving millionaires and billionaires put their money where it can make a transformative difference. Instead of buying one skeleton, we encourage these fans to support the research, museums, students and scientific societies that breathe new life into ancient bones.

One single fossil’s price tag could fund years of groundbreaking discoveries, education and exhibitions. That’s a legacy worth leaving, especially at a time when funding for science is dwindling.

» Jessica M. Theodor is a professor of biological sciences at the University of Calgary. Kenshu Shimada is a professor of environmental science and biological sciences at DePaul University. Kristi Curry Rogers is the DeWitt Wallace Professor of biology and geology at Macalester College. Stuart Sumida is a biology professor at California State University, San Bernardino.

» This column was originally published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca