Dallas-based Heritage Auctions on Tuesday agreed to help the Mongolian
government investigate the ownership of a rare Tyrannosaurus bataar dinosaur
skeleton that Mongolian officials say may have been smuggled from that country
before it was auctioned in New York earlier this month.

The nearly intact skeleton – a smaller Asian
cousin of the Tyrannosaurus Rex – was sold by Heritage Auctions for $1.05
million on May 20. The buyer has not been identified.

A state district judge in Dallas has granted
the Mongolian government a temporary restraining order to prevent the transfer
of ownership until it is determined whether it was illegally obtained from
Mongolia.

“Heritage will enthusiastically strive
to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome, once the President of Mongolia has
had a reasonable opportunity to investigate the circumstances,” Jim
Halperin, co-chairman of Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale, told
Reuters in a statement on Tuesday.

A Houston attorney for the Mongolian
government attempted to block the sale but was rebuffed by auction officials,
who said a restraining order from a Texas court was not enforceable in New
York.

“I commend Heritage Auctions and its
consignor for assisting with my investigation into the origin and legal
ownership of this Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton,” Mongolian President
Elbegdorj Tsakhia said on Tuesday in a statement.

The Mongolian government will send a
delegation of Mongolian and non-Mongolian experts to New York City in June to
inspect the skeleton, Tsakhia said.

This Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton is 8 feet
tall and 24 feet long, and was discovered in the Gobi Desert, according to
Heritage Auctions. This species roamed what is now Central Asia during the
Cretaceous period.

“This beautiful Tyrannosaurus skeleton
is one of the most complete, most spectacular specimens that we”ve ever
seen,” David Herskowitz, director of natural history for the auction
house, said in a statement.

The Gobi Desert stretches across portions of
northern China and southern Mongolia. Heritage
Auctions officials said it has not been determined in which country the
skeleton was discovered.

“Since 90 percent of the Gobi Desert is in Mongolia, it was
likely found there,” said Mark Norell of the American Museum of Natural
History in New York City. “Either way, Mongolia and China have the same
laws regarding the sovereign ownership of dinosaur skeletons and other
artifacts.”

Both countries have prohibited the export of
these artifacts since 1949, said Norell, who has worked extensively in
Mongolia. “These fossils likely were illegally collected,” he said.

Heritage officials said the skeleton has
been placed in a crates in a secure location in New York City and will not be
moved without court permission.

Source: Reuters