Comments on: “Cliff” the Triceratops finds a good home http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2008/11/cliff-the-triceratops-finds-a-good-home/ Where Paleontology Meets Pop Culture Sat, 22 Dec 2012 16:48:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: RaiulBaztepo http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2008/11/cliff-the-triceratops-finds-a-good-home/comment-page-1/#comment-441 RaiulBaztepo Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:38:58 +0000 http://dinosaur.smithsonianmag.com/?p=271#comment-441 Hello! Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource! PS: Sorry for my bad english, I'v just started to learn this language ;) See you! Your, Raiul Baztepo Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language ;)
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo

]]> By: Hard Economic Times Hit Dinosaur Auctions | Dinosaur Tracking http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2008/11/cliff-the-triceratops-finds-a-good-home/comment-page-1/#comment-373 Hard Economic Times Hit Dinosaur Auctions | Dinosaur Tracking Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:27:44 +0000 http://dinosaur.smithsonianmag.com/?p=271#comment-373 [...] Many of these fossils are beautiful specimens that have remained in private hands for years (”Cliff” the Triceratops is an exception). With the economic downturn, it seems that it is easier [...] [...] Many of these fossils are beautiful specimens that have remained in private hands for years (”Cliff” the Triceratops is an exception). With the economic downturn, it seems that it is easier [...]

]]> By: Michael P. Taylor http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2008/11/cliff-the-triceratops-finds-a-good-home/comment-page-1/#comment-213 Michael P. Taylor Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:01:01 +0000 http://dinosaur.smithsonianmag.com/?p=271#comment-213 Hang on, hang on -- what's the point in that? A seven-year loan? The specimen is still privately owned, even if it happens to be physically located in the museum right now. What if you publish on it, and then in eight years' time I spot what I think is a mistake in your interpretation. If I can't go back to the specimen (which might now be concealed in the owner's undersea base), then your work is near worthless. Sorry, but there it is. I wouldn't want to work on a specimen in these circumstances. If this person wants to benefit science, he or she needs to GIVE the specimen to the museum, not loan it. Hang on, hang on — what’s the point in that? A seven-year loan? The specimen is still privately owned, even if it happens to be physically located in the museum right now. What if you publish on it, and then in eight years’ time I spot what I think is a mistake in your interpretation. If I can’t go back to the specimen (which might now be concealed in the owner’s undersea base), then your work is near worthless.

Sorry, but there it is. I wouldn’t want to work on a specimen in these circumstances. If this person wants to benefit science, he or she needs to GIVE the specimen to the museum, not loan it.

]]> By: Michael Stearns http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2008/11/cliff-the-triceratops-finds-a-good-home/comment-page-1/#comment-214 Michael Stearns Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:53:27 +0000 http://dinosaur.smithsonianmag.com/?p=271#comment-214 This makes me really happy, it seems to me that making a skeleton like this available to the public (and science as well) really ought to be par for the course with fossil auctions. You'd never really know how valuable your fossil is until scientists can have a crack at it, and there isn't anything quite as extravagant as spending millions and then giving it away (or loaning it for seven years). Private collectors can easily still "collect" without making themselves appear like villains to the paleontological community. This makes me really happy, it seems to me that making a skeleton like this available to the public (and science as well) really ought to be par for the course with fossil auctions. You’d never really know how valuable your fossil is until scientists can have a crack at it, and there isn’t anything quite as extravagant as spending millions and then giving it away (or loaning it for seven years). Private collectors can easily still “collect” without making themselves appear like villains to the paleontological community.

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