"In a two-part special, 101 East explores Asia's role in the booming multimillion-dollar dinosaur fossil trade. The global demand for dinosaur fossils is booming, with increasing interest from wealthy collectors across Asia. In 2024, a Stegosaurus skeleton was sold at an auction in New York for a record $44.6m. Fossil hunters are raking in profits, while Asian buyers bond over their collections and see fossils as a way to educate the next generation about history."
"However, some academics say the commercial fossil trade is unethical and harmful to science. 101 East investigates the multimillion-dollar trade in dinosaur fossils."
Asia's wealthy private collectors are increasingly driving global demand for dinosaur fossils, creating a multimillion-dollar market. In 2024, a Stegosaurus skeleton sold at a New York auction for a record $44.6m. Fossil hunters profit handsomely from sales to buyers across Asia. Many Asian collectors bond over their collections and view fossils as tools to educate younger generations about history. The commercial trade has prompted criticism from some academics who call it unethical and harmful to scientific research. The phenomenon has transformed fossils into high-value commodities and ignited debate over preservation, access, and scientific integrity.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]