Fossil “Dino Chicken” stolen by Germans returns to Brazil

Fossil “Dino Chicken” stolen by Germans returns to Brazil

After a long quarrel between German and Brazilian paleontologists, the latter won: the fossil of the chicken-like dinosaur Ubirajara jubatus He returns to Brazil.

This pleases Brazilian paleontologists, who have been campaigning since 2020 to recover the 110-million-year-old Brazilian Ubirajara. Now these dinosaur experts have found a new reason to keep bickering with the Germans: It turns out there’s another smuggled fossil, Defiant irritation.

the Ubirajara jubatus The size of a chicken, its remains were found in northeastern Brazil, in the Araripe Basin, a rocky area known for a large amount of fossils. The dinosaur in question was housed in the State Museum of Natural History in Karlsruhe, Germany, and ended up there without the Brazilian authorities providing the required paperwork.

Museum fire

The German government initially refused to cooperate in repatriating the fossil, but the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in which Karlsruhe is located, decided to launch an investigation into the origin of the obiragara, with a preliminary report. Brazil is a positive result.

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the return of June, to coincide nicely with the reopening of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, which burned down in 2018. This museum houses many fossils and artifacts from civilizations indigenous to Brazil, as well as art treasures from around the world. Most of it was lost in the fire.

Some paleontologists demand that the fossil be given to the Paleontological Museum of the city of Santana do Cariri, in the south of the state of Ceará, where the Ararip Basin is located. This would really take it back to its origins and not to the economically developed southeast of the country, where the cities of Rio and São Paulo are located. Supporters argue that this would prevent a repeat of scientific colonization, as happened when the fossil was brought to Germany. In addition, it can give a view of this area which is home to many fossils.

An impression of Ubirajara jubatus. The animal is named after the Tupi Indian for “master of the spear”, a reference to the animal’s long tail.Image Artwork © Bob Nichols / Paleocreations.com 2020

Extremely fast runner

It now appears that the fossil of this chicken-like dinosaur wasn’t the only specimen smuggled into Germany. Because the sexy challenger might also come from the Ararib Basin. The magazine appeared in early May Palaeontology Electronica An article about this carnivorous dinosaur—not a powerful biteer, but a very fast runner—in which the authors concede that the way the fossil ended up in Stuttgart, Germany, couldn’t be the right one. The researchers discovered that parts of the agitator’s bone remains were forged. The monster owes its name to their anger at this.

The journal retracted its publication in mid-May after criticism about the provenance of the fossil. Two of the authors have now announced that they support the return of the irritant to Brazil.

The director of the Paleontological Museum of Santana do Carrere, Alison Pinheiro, hopes for this and more fossil returns to Brazil. “But,” he told the newspaper. Oh Globo“The process is slow, bureaucratic, and requires State Department intervention.”

Read also:

KAn IP-like dinosaur causes a fight between German and Brazilian paleontologists

A 110-million-year-old dinosaur fossil from Brazil has sparked an international scientific debate.

See also  TU Delft students send a new technology to the moon

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *