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Is there any theory at all of how this could possibly matter? Maybe there is and I don’t see it… but I really really don’t see it. These fossils have been in
by huitzitziltzin 5y ago
Is there any theory at all of how this could possibly matter? Maybe there is and I don’t see it… but I really really don’t see it.
These fossils have been in the ground for millions of years, well before humans or their rich and poor states were ever dreamed of. Indeed before there was anyone to dream of anything.
It would be great if Tunisia had the financial resources to support a robust paleontological community. As it stands they have higher priorities. This is understandable!
Is there any reason to care if fossils which are tens or hundreds of millions of years old are dug up by the French, the Germans, or the Tunisians??
- netizen-936824 5y agoWho digs it up matters because different people from different cultures have different experiences which leads to different perspectives and understandings. These perspectives are recorded in history texts which colors everyone else's perceptions of the time period
- huitzitziltzin 5y agoA fair reply, but these are dinosaurs. As far as we know they have no complex social organization to speak of, nor do I see how that could be preserved in the fossil records. A German, Tunisian or Canadian are all equally unable to imagine the world as the dinosaurs saw it. Nor is there any data I can imagine which would provide any evidence for an interpretation of that kind. I would definitely take your point with respect to archaeology, but for paleontology it is a stretch. From the dinosaurs’ perspective it must be unfair that their bones are being excavated by primates…
- netizen-936824 5y agoAre you suggesting that two different human cultures cannot have two different perspectives on dinosaur bones? Wasn't there something recently about most dinosaurs having feathers instead of leathery skin? Wonder which cultures came up with those ideas