Ubirajara jubatus lived in what is now Brazil over 100 million years ago. A fossil of the dinosaur has adorned the collection of the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe for over 20 years.
Rio de Janeiro / Karlsruhe – The fossil of the dinosaur Ubirajara is one of the most interesting pieces in the collection of the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe – now the Brazilians want the fossilized remains back.
According to the local palaeontological society, the fossil was illegally brought out of the country and belongs to Brazil. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, of course, sees it very differently.
“The Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts has examined the matter comprehensively and has all available documents for importing and purchasing the fossil referred to be presented. After their evaluation, it turned out that there were no indications of an illegal acquisition by the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe, ”the ministry informed the German Press Agency at the request of the German Press Agency. “Since the object was legally imported into Germany before April 26, 2007, no return is required. The fossil is now in the State Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe. The owner is the state of Baden-Württemberg. “
Unesco Convention
The museum also argues that the fossil was acquired before the Unesco Convention on Measures to Prohibit and Prevent the Illegal Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in April 2007 and was imported in compliance with all customs and entry regulations. According to the Paleontological Society in Brazil, the Natural History Museum had initially shown itself ready to talk at the end of last year. However, the museum later rowed back and declared, referring to the Culture Protection Act, that there was no legal basis for a return.
Ubirajara jubatus is from the Cretaceous Period and lived about 110 to 115 million years ago. The carnivore, which is only about one meter tall, is said to be the first feathered but flightless dinosaur in the southern hemisphere. Because of the simmering dispute over the fossil, the scientific article describing the dinosaur was temporarily withdrawn by the specialist magazine “Cretaceous Research”.
The fossil was found in a quarry between the communities of Nova Olinda and Santana do Cariri in the Crato Formation in the state of Ceará in northeastern Brazil and was brought to Germany in 1995. According to a report by Brazilian news portal G1, the regional office of the fossil division in the Ministry of Mines and Energy had approved the export. However, there are doubts about the legality of the export license. The Brazilian attorney general opened an investigation at the end of last year.
Disputed approval
G1 located the officer who issued the export permit at the time. However, José Betimar Filgueira stated that his permit was only valid for the Ministry of Mines. “They also needed a permit from the Ministry of Science and Technology, which they didn’t get because they didn’t know or because they didn’t care,” he said. In addition, the boxes inspected by in did not contain dinosaur fossils, but other fossils. “If it had been an unusual fossil, I would not have given permission,” said the now retired official. He suspects that the contents of the boxes were exchanged after the approval.
The sale of fossils abroad has been banned under Brazilian law since 1990. The fossilized remains may only be brought out of the country on loan for scientific purposes under certain conditions – but the Brazilian state remains the owner. In any case, the scientists in the largest country in Latin America do not want to give up yet. “We will not stop fighting for our natural and cultural heritage,” announced the Paleontological Society in Brazil a few days ago. dpa
