RE: Specimen not in collection - usable?

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of hammeris1@bellsouth.net
>
> So, if I am out in the wild somewhere and come across a large 
> specimen of Holtzasaurus marylandai, and it is on private 
> land, at what point can "the govt" step in for the benefit of 
> science - does that happen?
> Do they retain a percentage of any seizure to pay the land 
> owners like they would in an imminent domain situation?
> 
> Would the uniqueness of the specimen be the deciding factor?

This all depends on the nation (and sometimes, the state/provincial or
county) government regulations.

For example, in broad strokes: in the U.S. the federal, state, and county
governments do not have authorization to come onto ordinary private property
in the interest of science for fossils. In some other jurisdictions, fossils
are considered "state" or "crown" property, and so the government has
authority to act to claim the fossils.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Fax: 301-405-0796

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA