Fossil trade

The auction of the Tyrannosaurus skeleton known as Sue in 1997 for $8.3 million is considered to have caused an increased interest in the fossil trade.

[6] According to the head of science and natural history at Christie's, James Hyslop, the market in fossils has been growing consistently since 2007.

[7] Due to the increased awareness of the lucrative nature of fossils, many landowners have become more reluctant to work with scientists, preferring to instead offer prospecting rights to the highest bidder.

[6][7] The international trade in fossils for use in alternative medicine, commonly referred to as "dragon bone", was worth US$700 million annually as of 2010.

[12] The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, an international association of professional and amateur vertebrate paleontologists, believes that scientifically important fossils—especially but not exclusively those found on public lands—should be held in perpetuity in the public trust, preferably in a museum or research institution, where they can benefit the scientific community as a whole as well as future generations.

A 2023 description of a turtle fossil deposited in Switzerland revealed the bones present to be from two different genera, Santanachelys and Araripemys, plus unidentifiable fragments.

[20] A hoax specimen composed of parts of genuine Yanornis and Microraptor fossils obtained by a museum through the fossil trade was originally interpreted in 1999 as a "missing link" between dinosaurs and birds and planned to be named "Archaeoraptor", but was identified as a hoax before being formally published in a scientific journal.

[7] The skull of a Tyrannosaurus relative called Tarbosaurus bataar illegally exported from Mongolia was purchased by the actor Nicolas Cage for $276,000 in 2007.