The doors of the Drouot auction house open to let in a triceratops, the premises of a commercial paleontology company are raided to seize a T-Rex… These surreal scenes, reported by journalist Pauline Lallement in her investigative book “Jurassic Fric. La nouvelle ruée vers l’or” published by Flammarion editions, did indeed take place. They reflect the enthusiasm of investors for a new type of investment: dinosaur fossils. Because these are not just passed from the hands of university paleontologists to those of natural history museum curators, as one might think: they are the subject of a real market.
Commercial paleontology has always existed. Since the 1920s, the first paleontologists had to rely on private grants to carry out particularly expensive research. Furthermore, some have enriched themselves by selling their discoveries. But for journalist Pauline Lallement, the real turning point came in 1997 with the sale of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Sue. This T. rex was acquired for over 8 million dollars by the Field Museum in Chicago, thanks to investments from major players like Walt Disney and McDonald’s.
Another phenomenon has accentuated this business: the film “Jurassic Park” directed by Steven Spielberg. “This film marked an entire generation and, thirty years later, the buyers who played with Jurassic Park figures are now buying a dinosaur, which is essentially a life-size figurine for them,” explains the journalist. Today, some wealthy individuals invest in dinosaurs just as they would invest in collectible cars.
The trade in dinosaurs comes at the expense of scientific research. “This is the great tragedy for researchers,” the journalist tells us. “Today, dinosaurs are being compared to works of art when they are scientific objects. Scientists no longer have access to certain research areas because private owners reserve access rights for commercial paleontologists.” These fossils, often sold outside official channels or through private messengers, escape museum collections and scientists.
Context Note: The article discusses the growing trend of investors and wealthy individuals investing in dinosaur fossils as a form of alternative investment. Fact Check Note: The information presented in this article is accurate and based on the text provided within the specified HTML tags.
