Anthony Maltese, the curator for the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Colorado, is a real-life fossil hunter who braves extreme weather conditions and risks danger to collect dinosaurs both in the field and for museums and collectors worldwide. Maltese explains that his job involves living for weeks in the deserts of North Dakota or Montana with little or no amenities and facing biting insects, extreme heat, and floods to retrieve dinosaur specimens. Despite these challenges, Maltese views his work as a passion, fueled not only by the thrill of discovery but also by the exchange of ideas and collaboration with academics.
Maltese works for RMDRC and Triebold Paleontology, which are both involved in commercial fossil collecting and sourcing fossils for collectors and museums. The sale price of fossils varies depending primarily on the species, condition, and completeness of the find. While T-Rex skeletons have commanded extraordinary prices at auctions, Maltese states that his work is not solely driven by profit. Instead, he values the opportunity to get the discoveries into the public trust and collaborate with academics.
Maltese likens the relationship between commercial fossil collectors and academics to the fishing industry. The commercial collectors act like big fishing ships, pulling up a wide variety of fish along with valuable species. While they collaborate with academics on valuable specimens, the relationship is not always harmonious. Dr. Susannah Maidment from the National History Museum in the UK explains that private collectors play an essential role in discovering new specimens. However, relying solely on private collections can sometimes be problematic, as collectors may want to keep items for their personal collections, and the precise location of finds can be difficult to track over time. Maltese agrees that while his work can be arduous and potentially dangerous, he is motivated by the thrill of discovery and the excitement of collaborating with academics on groundbreaking research.
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