Brasilia / Karlsruhe (dpa) – A dinosaur fossil that may have been brought illegally to Germany has been returned to Brazil. The Ministry of Science announced that the fossil of the dinosaur Obiragara jubatus arrived in Brazil on Sunday.
Representatives of the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Embassy and Carrere University opened the boxes and inspected the materials. “The Ministry of Science has spared no effort to make Obiragara’s return possible. However, without the mobilization of the Brazilian scientific community, we would not have succeeded. The German government listened to our requests and together we achieved this victory,” said Minister of Science, Technology and Social Development Ignacio Arruda.
The first feathered dinosaur that did not fly
Ubirajara jubatus dates back to the Cretaceous period and lived about 110 to 115 million years ago. The carnivore, only about 1 meter tall, is said to be the first feathered but flightless dinosaur in the southern hemisphere. The fossil was found in a quarry in the state of Ceará in northeastern Brazil and brought to Germany in 1995. It recently belonged to the collection of the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe. Experts in Brazil have claimed that the fossil was illegally removed from the country.
Initially, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science took the position that there was no evidence that the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe had illegally obtained the fossilized remains. In July last year, she announced that the museum had provided incorrect information about the fossil’s import. The ministry stated that the museum was unable to provide any documents from the Brazilian authorities proving the permit and customs clearance of the fossil when it was exported. In particular, there is no export license from Brazil.
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