May 05, 2005

Unknown Species of Dinosaur Found From the article in the LA Times, registration required: The scientists acknowledged that they owed the discovery to the troubled conscience of a man named Lawrence Walker, who found the creature while poaching fossils from federal lands, digging only at night hidden under a tarpaulin. He had sold several of the fossil fragments at mineral shows.

Convinced the fossils belonged to a new species, Walker revealed to Kirkland the latitude and longitude of the remote mesa where the bones had been found. When the paleontologist twice failed to find his way to the bone beds, Walker escorted him directly to the site, knowing full well he courted serious legal trouble. Walker later served five months in prison and paid $15,000 in restitution as the price for bringing the bones to the attention of science. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I'll send Mr. Walker a nice bottle of sipping whiskey for doing the right thing.

posted by squidranch 19 years ago
  • On review, sorry for taking so much of the front page. Any self immolation forms that you might suggest are appreciated.
  • Well, you can google James Kirkland and find his email, squid. Don't know that he'd offer up the location of the Lawrence Walker sippin whiskey foundation, though.
  • Never apologise.
  • this story is cool. thanks.
  • Hurray for dinosaurs! A very interesting article about what sounds like a huge find of these critters. Thanks, squidranch!!!
  • Woo-hoo! Thanks Squid! [petrified bananas]
  • That's awesome. I'd have named the dinosaur after it's discoverer though.
  • I have recently discovered the Cankersaurus.
  • Have we met, bernockle?
  • caught in the act of evolving into a vegetarian "Startled by the glare of the searchlight, Drew the Fucking Big Dinosaur dropped the carrot and ran like hell".
  • Tell us, little fossils, all ye know, of dinosaurs. Reveal the mystery of how each species vanished from prehistory -- reverse old time in its one-way flow -- were those critters fat or were they skinny? What did they eat? Were they fleet or slow? And why is it nowadays there just aren't any? And is it true that spoon-shaped teeth are Destiny?
  • Differing Dinosaur dropped his fork Growled and drew back in his seat... Frolicking now in his gardening gloves Parsnips! Cauliflower! Artichoke hearts! Lettuces, carrots and leeks! Bring me all the vegetable swag what ya got But never! Not any meat.
  • Drew the Fucking Big Dinosaur Sounds like an x rated Dr. Seuss book.
  • Apparently, the dinosaur was transitioning from a carnivore to a herbivore. Fascinating.
  • Ohhhh, lubs me some new fossils--why is it the Sahara and the Gobi are two of the hottest coolest places on the planet?