Fossil poaching

[Dorje]

Interesting article at msnbc:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8847187/

CHADRON, Neb. - When three suspicious men were stopped on federal land in remote northwestern Nebraska in 2003, it didn't take the U.S. Forest Service long to figure out what they were doing.

The men had dug an 18-by-10-foot hole more than 2 feet deep, leaving the fossilized bones of a prehistoric rhinoceros exposed. Plaster used to take casts of the bones and excavating tools also were found.

The men were poaching fossils — a practice the Forest Service says has become rampant in recent years at Oglala National Grasslands.

I wonder how much of an impact this has on legitimate research.

[Boro Nut]

Fossil poaching

Waste of time if you ask me. No matter which fossils you choose, no matter how long you take, they'll still taste like fossils.

Boro Nut

[RBH]

A significant impact, according to this story (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0823_wiredinohunters.html).

RBH

[laughing dog]

Why would someone take Satan's tools?

[Tzar Bomba]

Why would someone take Satan's tools?In order to raise an army of terrible zombies and destroy all hope of legitimate Creationist Science!! :huh:

[Berthold]

One important distinction should be made: A fossil that has already weathered out, should be taken! It would soon disintegrate otherwise.

[Varecia]

Berthold: One important distinction should be made: A fossil that has already weathered out, should be taken! It would soon disintegrate otherwise.

Varecia: Doing that on public land in the U.S., even for the sake of retrieving what could be at risk of disintegration, is still prohibited.