The Weird Economics of Paleontology

Fossils are found in abundance in just a few countries around the world, but our ideas about what we should do with them varies dramatically across borders. Are fossils a public good, meant to be enjoyed and accessed by everyone? Or are they just another natural resource to be commodified? Since the late 1990s, fossil prices have been on the rise since the multi-milllion dollar sale of Sue the T-Rex – apparently owning a dinosaur is becoming fashionable among the world’s wealthiest. Paleontologists are concerned that the market may be pricing scientific research out of the industry.

Many thanks to Ben Borkovic and Dustin Growick for humoring my questions, (and also to Ben, for letting me crash in the paleontologists’ camp after my truck broke down in the middle of the Alberta badlands).
References:
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Williams, P. (2018). The dinosaur artist: Obsession, betrayal, and the quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy. Hachette Books.
Writing on Stone Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Writing_on_stone990.jpg

Видео The Weird Economics of Paleontology канала Justin Olsvik