The dinosaurs of South Dakota

Focus on sales or science?
Some paleontologists from the academic world complain that ranchers and the private fossil companies aren't always careful enough with their discoveries, and sometimes don't do the requisite studies of the areas surrounding the remains.

These critics fear the primary concern is sales, rather than science, and are upset that some important specimens end up in the hands of rich private collectors, out of reach from researchers.

Mike Triebold, the owner of the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center, argues those criticisms are unfair, and are based on incorrect assumptions. "Profit is not our motivating factor. Interest and love of fossils is what motivates us," he said. "There are certain things that are important, that need to be done in in the collection of dinosaurs and other fossils, and we're all doing that."

In the Center's restoration lab, workers meticulously clean bones collected from the field, and assemble specimens and replicas for shipments to museums.

Throughout the large public display rooms, which are filled with dinosaur skeletons and other exhibits, children and other guests walk around with tour guides, their heads craned upward. "We have a very strong educational component to what we do," said Triebold. "We are getting kids excited about science through paleontology."

At the dig site in Montana, Kraig Derstler, a professor at the University of New Orleans who also does fossil recovery work for the Center, defended the quality of the research done in private excavations. "The science is being done the same as it would be if this were a public expedition," he said.  "The quality of the work— the excavation, the science— is better because the expeditions are funded adequately."

Derstler also argued that very few important fossils ever end up in private hands, despite the stories of actors and executives paying huge sums to own them. "Virtually every skeleton that I'm aware of, every significant skeleton that's been excavated, ends up in a museum."

Bucky Derflinger, who sometimes sells small bags of fossilized teeth and other miniature items on E-bay, said he see nothing wrong with allowing the public to buy and enjoy common specimens. "There are so many fossils out there," he said. "I can't tell you how many thousands of teeth I've found. Why not spread them out, let people enjoy them?"

A partnership of discovery
Both the Derflinger and the Tuss families agree that while they played an important role in discovering dinosaur remains, the meticulous work of researching and extracting the bones from solid rock belongs to the experts.  The ranchers say they enthusiastically welcome the fossil companies and scientists, who often labor on their land for weeks and months under the hot sun.

The experts, on the other hand, said they understand the importance of the private landowners.  "In fact, without them we have nothing. Access to the land is the way we are able to do our explorations and excavations," said Triebold.

And while there can be money involved, ranchers and scientists alike say it's not enough for landowners to make a full-time living. "I have never seen yet a rancher who quit ranching and gone dinosaur-hunting," said Triebold.

Some of those ranchers, though, have earned respect for their dedication and abilities in finding fossils. "There are a number of pretty good local prospectors," said Derstler. "They're out there, they know the land."

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