A T. rex specimen called Gus was found in South Dakota. The discovery has prompted discussion of private fossil sales reaching multimillion-dollar levels. Coverage comes exclusively from left-center sources, limiting perspective diversity.
“A T. rex found in South Dakota could smash auction records — and possibly disappear forever”
Read at CNN →“Dinosaurs are selling for millions. Do collectors know what they’re buying? - Financial Times”
Read at Financial Times →No right-leaning sources covered this
Private wealth increasingly captures fossils as luxury assets, sidelining museums and public access.
“Inequality and commercialization of scientific heritage”
Private landowners and markets allocate value more efficiently than government oversight.
“Property rights and voluntary exchange on non-public land”
Strong property rights drive discovery and allow owners to decide specimen fate.
“Individual liberty versus centralized heritage claims”
All three views accept the premise of informed private sales while ignoring composite specimens and lost field data.
“Documentation failures and supply-chain incentives not addressed by ownership debates”
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