Bob Ernst And The Sharktooth Hill Bone Bed

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Inyo - 09 May 2004 16:07 GMT

Over at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001923642_fossil09.html
is an illuminating article regarding Bob Ernst, who owns 420 acres of
the world-famous fossil-bearing Middle Miocene Sharktooth Hill bone
bed (occurs in the Round Mountain Silt member of the Temblor
Formation) northeast of Bakersfield, California--by his own
calculations, Ernst has collected more than a million fossil--shark
teeth and various marine mammal bones--from the prolific bone bed over
the past three decades; he is a controversial figure, admittedly, one
who has been known to sell fossils he's collected from the bone bed.
On the other hand, a professor at nearby Calfornia State University,
Bakersfield, claims that without Ernst's contributions the well-known
Buena Vista Museum in downtown Bakersfield would not exist.

Fossils In Death Valley National Park
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Don Kenney - 14 May 2004 22:09 GMT

>Over at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001923642_fossil09.html
>is an illuminating article regarding Bob Ernst, who owns 420 acres of
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>the past three decades; he is a controversial figure, admittedly, one
>who has been known to sell fossils he's collected from the bone bed.

I don't see selling shark teeth as much of an issue. As you and I
know, but many others may not, the shark teeth in the Shark Tooth Hill
be are very abundant and are not very well mineralized. They do not
last long after weathering out. Moreover, for every scientifically
interesting tooth or bone there are probably 500 mundane _Isurus_
and/or _Charcharhinus_ teeth. As long as Ernst treats the interesting
stuff responsibly, it's probably better to have the material quarried
and examined by somebody who knows what they are doing. Much better
than just building (overpriced) housing on it as has happened with
much of the similar Barker's Ranch bed. And Ernst probably does a
much better job of screening the material than do the amateurs
(including myself) who have crawled over the exposures over the
years.

>On the other hand, a professor at nearby Calfornia State University,
>Bakersfield, claims that without Ernst's contributions the well-known
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>on. Sometimes I exceed my day's allotted bandwidth and my server
>simply shuts me down for a short while.)

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Inyo - 18 May 2004 17:01 GMT

> >Over at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001923642_fossil09.html
> >is an illuminating article regarding Bob Ernst, who owns 420 acres of
> >the world-famous fossil-bearing Middle Miocene Sharktooth Hill bone
> >bed; he is a controversial figure, admittedly, one
> >who has been known to sell fossils he's collected from the bone bed.

> I don't see selling shark teeth as much of an issue.
>As long as Ernst treats the interesting
> stuff responsibly, it's probably better to have the material quarried
> and examined by somebody who knows what they are doing.

One of the primary points of controversy is that Ernst irresponsibly
sold a very rare (the vast majority of fossils from the bone bed are
disarticulated fragments of sharks--AKA, teeth--and marine mammals)
and essentially complete skeleton of a marine mammal from the
Sharktooth Hill Bone Bed to overseas private interests in Japan, thus
preventing scientists from examining it and studying it.

Fossils In Death Valley National Park
http://mojave.topcities.com/dv/dvfossils.htm
(If you receive a topcities.com error message, please try again later
on. Sometimes I exceed my day's allotted bandwidth and my server
simply shuts me down for a short while.)

Fossils In Death Valley National Park
http://mojave.topcities.com/dv/dvfossils.htm
(If you receive a topcities.com error message, please try again later
on. Sometimes I exceed my day's allotted bandwidth and my server
simply shuts me down for a short while.)

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Natural Science Forum / Biology / Paleontology / May 2004

Bob Ernst And The Sharktooth Hill Bone Bed