It is far from a given that you can see dinosaurs in a museum in Norway. Because the competition to get your hands on these unique fossils is fierce. But now the Natural History Museum in Oslo can display two new specimens of the species Hypacrosaurus stebingeri from autumn. – It will be absolutely fantastic, says Jørn Hurum to news. He is a professor of paleontology. The paleontologist further says that the market for buying and selling such fossils has taken off completely in the last two years. Recently, a skeleton of a stegosaurus was sold at auction and a private person shelled out a total of 44 million US dollars. Facts about the dinosaur skeletons Zelda and Zara Geological formation: Two Medicine Formation Age: Late Cretaceous, Campanian (80-74 million years) Length: 7.5m and 3.5m Species: Hypacrosaurus stebingeri Place of discovery: Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Glacier County, Montana, USA Draws tourists – Dinosaurs have always been popular, and museums have always competed for them. But they have never before been as expensive as they are now. It is completely new, says Hurum. The stegosaurus was bought by billionaire Kenneth Griffin. Hurum says you have dinosaur collectors in the same way as you have art collectors. – If you have a castle, you have room for a dinosaur. The paleontologist believes that part of the reason for the huge price increase is the interest from the Gulf states. – They think a few steps ahead in time, and want to invest in tourism when the oil runs out. Jørn Hurum is professor of palaeontology at UiO. Photo: Annabel Staff/National Geographic Four years ago, the famous skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, named “Stan”, was sold for close to 32 million US dollars. At the time, they didn’t know where the 67-million-year-old dinosaur went. But two years later, the skeleton’s new home was revealed: the Abu Dhabi museum. This is scheduled to be completed by next year. – They want the biggest and the best, says Hurum. This is Stan the T rex skeleton. Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP – Think we have money The fact that prices are now sky-high for such fossils makes it difficult for museums to compete. At least the European ones, according to Hurum. He says that after acquiring the two new dinosaurs, they have been offered to buy other things at extreme prices. – Now they think we have money, but that’s not true, he says with a laugh. Besides, they won’t have room for more dinosaurs when “Zara” and “Zelda” are in place. Sparebankstiftelsen DNB has bought the skeletons. They cost approximately NOK 17 million. Hurum says dinosaurs are a completely unique entrance ticket to natural history. – Then you get an even better communication. Among other things, one can explain how the animals have developed, or how the dinosaurs wandered across the continents. There are many stories that work well for both adults and children, he says. The Zelda skeleton is assembled by experts in Italy. These experts are now finalizing a steel structure that will hold the fossil bones up when they are to be put on display. Photo: Zoic srl- Trieste/Natural History Museum / NTB Published 22.07.2024, at 18.02 Updated 22.07.2024, at 19.41
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The market for dinosaur skeletons is currently very hot, says paleontologist Jørn Hurum – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
