Dinosaur skull returned to Mongolia

The skull of a dinosaur – the Tyrannosaurus – has been returned to Mongolia, where it was removed illegally in 2006. Actor Nicolas Cage bought the skull for USD$276,000 at an auction in 2007.

The fossil was actually the rare Tyrannosaurus, called bataar (meaning ‘hero’ in Mongolian). Bones from the Tyrannosaurus have only been found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Mongolia bans the removal of fossils and artifacts of scientific and cultural importance. The bones were removed illegally. Federal prosecutors in New York determined that the skull had been shipped from Japan to Gainesville in Florida in 2006 and was labelled ‘fossil stone pieces.’

On Tuesday December 22, 2015, a representative for Nicolas Cage confirmed that the actor bought the skull and had a ‘certificate of authencity.’ He bought the Tyrannasaurus skull during a time when he also bought 15 mansions, two castles, four yachts, and nine Rolls Royce cars (CNN, December 23, 2015).

Cage is cooperating with the investigation, including arranging for an inspection of the skull by agents of the Department of Homeland Security and US Attorney’s Office. Cage agreed to return the skull to US officials for its return to Mongolia.

Image credit: Donald E. Hurlbert, Smithsonian, newsdesk.si.edu

Martina Nicolls is author of The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015).

http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/22/news/nicolas-cage-dinosaur-skull/index.html?iid=obnetwork

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