Science – Dino fossil officially returned to Brazil – Wikiwand

Santana do Carrere (dpa) – A dinosaur fossil that may have been brought illegally to Germany has been officially returned to Brazil. The fossilized bones of the dinosaur Obiragara Jubatus were delivered to the Paleontological Museum Plácido Cidade Nuvens in the state of Ceará on Monday, the G1 news portal reported.

“The history of this specimen and the way the matter was dealt with after its description was published was very unfortunate,” said Julian Kimmegg of the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe, where the fossil was last kept. “Therefore, the entire new team in the museum’s Geosciences department is very pleased that we were able to support the effort to bring the Ubirajara fossil back to Brazil.”

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.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 230613-99-33385/2