In the October issue, the editors of NG (National Geographic) explained how the Archaeoraptor fiasco happened. The publishing about this new animal in November 1999 caused a stir of excitement because of its implications for the bird dino story. However, very quickly it was apparent that there was a major problem with the fossil itself. Usually the NG will not publish an article about new finds until they have been published in a suitable peer reviewed technical journal. In this case, things were moving so fast and communication was so incomplete that publication came before enough research had been done. Although submitted for publication in both Science and Nature, it was not accepted because of questions about its facts. One major problem with the fossil is that it had been found and purchased at the Tucson Fossil Show by Stephen and Sylvia Czerkas (collectors and artists). They asked Phil Currie of Canada and Xu Xian from China to collaborate on the study and paper of the fossil, and they promised to return the original to its righful home in China after the study (it was considered smuggled because farmers in China were selling them to anyone who would pay). Unfortunately, Currie’s busy schedule did not allow him to study the fossil as closely as he should have and he did not express any doubts to NG. He did notice that the fossil was glued from two pieces and that the side with the legs and tail had bones from both the part and counterpart. Timothy Rowe from the University of Texas scanned the fossil and found 88 breaks and that some of the pieces did not appear to match. So there were many red flags, but they were ignored in the rush to publish. Then in December Xu sent word from China that he had found the counterslab for the lower half of the fossil and it was joined to a dinosaur upper body. This seemed to be the final proof. It has proved to be an embarrasing incident for many – the Czerkases, Phil Currie, and NG. Hopefully, a lesson has been learned and there will be more care to be sure that there is solid proof before publication.

CHINESE FOSSIL BOOM

The story above illustrates a growing problem in China. Because of the exquisite quality of fossils that are being found in Liaoning province, there is a great temptation among the poor farmers to find and sell them. Additionally, the Chinese often have greatly limited the number of fossils available for study by western paleontologists. The government considers the fossils of birds, dino eggs and mamals as illegal to trade in, but many feel that enforcement is not strong. Westerners have even seen people selling the fossils in their hotel lobbies. At a Tucson show one Chinese dealer had a stack of Confuciusornis specimens for sale. In addition, there are people who are assembling fossils from unassociated pieces for the marketplace. The greatest loss may by those undescribed specimens that will never be known because they are illegally in someone’s private collection.

DINOFEST 2000

The web site of DINOFEST 2000 now has a listing of some of the exhibits that will be at Navy Pier from December 1, 2000 until January 7, 2001. There will be no symposium which is very disappointing. This is probably because of the late announcement of the date and place. Some of the exhibits include: Sereno’s African dinosaurs, Russian, Beijing and Mongolian dinosaurs, Smithsonian dinosaurs, MAPS exhibit, Ultrasaurus exhibit, Brian Cooley (of NG) exhibit, Black Hills Institute exhibit, dinosaur egg and embryo exhibit, Mammoths of Siberia exhibit, 20 Dinomation dinosaurs, and many more. Their web site is at  www.dinofest.com ,. I’m sure that it will be well worth a visit.

PALEOFEST 2001

Mark your calendar for this event in 2001. It will be during the last weekend of February, February 24 and 25, in Rockford, Illinois at the Burpee Museum. Last year it was the first weekend in March and conflicted with our own show. However, Lonnie Stark changed the date this coming year so that we could enjoy both. I will let you know the program of speakers when they are announced next year.

SOUTHERN DINOSAURS

In the September 23 issue of New Scientist, an article called Here Be Monsters by Graham Lawton looks at the exciting new discoveries from the Cretaceous of South America to Madagascar. Historically, the Cretaceous has been known primarily by dinosaurs from Laurasia. There were many similarities in the Triassic and Jurassic because they could move widely over Pangea. But in the early Cretaceous Laurasia and Gondwana formed, and then these further divided during the middle and late Cretaceous. New discoveries from Gondwana give us meat eaters larger than T rex (Carcharodontasaurus and Giganotosaurus), and huge plant eaters (Nigerosaurus and Argentinosaurus). In some ways it is almost as though evolution had slowed down in the South with the continuation of long necked sauropods that died out in the north in the Early Cretaceous. The predators were Allosaurus-like and got bigger, smaller-brained, and were more primitive than their northern relatives. However, there are some similar species that would suggest some land bridges from time to time. For example, titanosaurs found all over the south have now been found in some areas of the north. And the new Sereno Suchomimus is a close relative of England’s Baryonyx. The picture is getting very interesting and it will be even more so wnem Sereno returns from Niger again this December with more new dinosaurs.