Mongolian Academy of Sciences Letter

[Dan Chure <danchure@easilink.com>]

My last post of this letter had a problem that prevented it the text 
appearing in the message.  My apologies for that mix up. Here is the letter.

Dan


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Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs

May 18, 2012

To Heritage Auctions:

I am writing you at the request of Elbegdorj Tsakhia, the President of 
Mongolia.  He has asked me to inquire on the country of origin for the 
specimen of Tyannosaurus (aslo known as Tarbosaurus) bataar (lot 49315) 
which is scheduled to be auctioned by your company this Sunday, May 20, 
2012.  I am the director of the Institute for the Study of Mongolian 
Dinosaurs and also serve as the New York representative of the Mongolian 
Academy of Sciences.  Based on our experience in the studying the 
collecting of Mongolian dinosaurs, and on the information provided by 
your company with other specimens to be auctioned this Sunday, we 
strongly suspect that the Tyrannosaurus specimen, as well as several 
others you intend to auction, came from Mongolia.

Mongolian law prohibits the export of fossil specimens, and if this 
specimen did in fact come from Mongolia, we we strongly urge you not to 
auction this specimen because it would then have been acquired and 
exported illegally.  In fact, information on your website indicates that 
two of the tyrannosaur teeth (lots 49318, 49320) came from the Nemegt 
Formation, which is only exposed in Mongolia.  Thus these specimens were 
acquired and exported illegally.  We also strongly suspect that the 
ankylosaurus skull (lot 49317) came from Mongolia, and the troodontid 
,ay have come from Mongolia as well (lot 49318).

The auctioning of such specimens fuels the illegal fossil trade and must 
be stopped.  If you could provide detailed information on the 
provenance(s) of these specimens, I will then pass on this information 
to the President of Mongolia.  I strongly urge you not to auction the 
two, illegally exported tyrannosaur teeth from Mongolia.  I strongly 
urge you not to auction the other specimens we have indicated until 
their legality is fully resolved.  Even if the owner indicates that they 
did not come from Mongolia, we suggest that you investigate this matter 
closely as sometimes collectors falsify information or documents to make 
illegal specimens appear ":legal". In the meantime, the best approach 
would be an open dialogue with the government of Mongolia and other 
interested parties in order to find an acceptable resolution to this 
problem.  If it is eventually determined that these specimens did not 
come from Mongolia, it would be prudent for Heritage Auctions to consult 
the laws of the country of origin because many countries now prohibit 
the export or sale of such specimens (China is one example).  Thank you 
for your prompt attention in this matter.

Sincerely,

Bolortsetseg Minjin, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs
New York Representative of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences