. NEWS FOCUS 0 0WW0 ijM.ji.n:n focus at IVPP.Ji says the competitionfor * PROBLEMS specimens and scientific recognition "is very good for research, because before Internal Fights, Looting 1996there was only one voice on the origin of birds-IVPP's voice." Hinder Work in the Field Tensionsbetween the two institutions,in- cludingthe sharingof fossils, reachedthe A wealth of opportunities is cheapened by black market sales and breakingpoint early last year. In an articlein internecine squabbles over site access and specimens a Hong Kongnewspaper, Ji criticizedIVPP researchersfor theirwork with the now infa- MAOTIANSHAN,YUNNAN PROVINCE-With to decidewho digs, ownershipof the fossils mous Archaeoraptorfossil, sensationalized its spectacularfossils, a well-trainedcadre of is unclear.A singlesentence in a nationallaw in National Geographicbut laterproved to be researchers,and increasingfunding, China apparentlygives authorityover vertebrate a fraud (Science, 22 December 2000, p. couldbe the idealplace for paleontologyin fossilsto the StateAdministration of Cultural 2221). In particular,Ji said that IVPP re- the 21st century.But scientistsface a trioof Heritage,but a 1998 governmentreshuffling searchershad studied the specimen even problems:squabbles over access to sites and apparentlyshifted control to the Ministryof thoughit hadbeen smuggled out of China,a controlof fossils,a lackof cooperationin the LandResources (MLR). Confusion over the cardinalsin forChinese paleontologists. community,and widespreadfossil looting. extentof its prerogativescan slow downre- Not so, saysIVPP's Xu Xing,who replied "It is a loss not only for China,but for the search,however. Last summer,IVPP lost 2 in the Chinesepress that he beganstudying world,"says ChangMee-Mann, a seniorpa- monthsof workat an exceptionallyrich site Archaeoraptoronly after it wasclear it would leontologistat the Instituteof VertebratePa- in western Liaoning Province after local be returnedto China.That explanationis leontologyand Paleoanthropology (IVPP). MLRrepresentatives halted digging and de- supportedby the magazine'saccount of how A striking,two-story building down the mandedthe returnof fossils previouslycol- it was duped.In the samenewspaper article, road from the world-classsite here offers lectedfrom other sites. Workresumed after Xu notedJi's co-authorship of paperson two mute testimonyto what can happenwhen negotiations,but who will wind up with the allegedlysmuggled specimens of the primi- bureaucraciesdon't see eye to eye. The specimenshas yet to be clarified.Na- Field Station, dorm tional regulationsnow being drafted Chengjiang boasting ' rooms,work spaces, and a grandexhibition may resolve which agencies control . hall,was supposedto be a homeaway from sitesand fossils. home for scientistsfrom the NanjingInsti- tute of Geology and Paleontology(NIGP), Grouprivalry some 2000 kilometersto the northeast.But OutsideChina, one institutiontypically the 2-year-oldfacility has remainedempty takesthe lead in investigatinga site and untilrecently, a victimof disagreementover coordinatingresearch efforts with '; stewardshipof the site. those of otherinstitutions. In return, Local authoritieshave been reluctantto the leadinstitute gives all qualifiedre- permitfurther digging at two of the mostfa- searchersa chanceto studythe collect- , mous and productiveChengjiang sites- ed specimens.In China,such coordi- m_ . ,I=Vt, ./ * .. o-%-* , Maotianshanand Haikou. They want to pre- nationis lacking,and some researchers Self-Iprotection. Zhou Zhongheand other paleontolo- servethe site as a touristattraction and wor- do not respecteach other'sturf. "We gistshope this warningsign will discourage fossil thieves. ry, in the wordsof one scientist,that further onlyknow what other groups are doing digging will leave "nothingfor visitorsto becausewe all hirethe same farmers to do the tivebird Confuciusornis in Germanand Aus- see."For NIGP scientists,however, closing digging,"says Yunnan University's Hou Xian- trianmuseums. off the site meansleaving valuable fossils in guangabout activity at the Chengjiang sites. Recent developments, however, may the ground.A compromiseis beingworked This lack of communicationhas led to have calmedthe waters.This monthJi will out,says NIGP's Sun Weiguo, that would al- embarrassingredundancies. In 1999, Gao stepdown as directorof the GeologicalMu- low diggingunder "a long-termprogram to Keqinand others from IVPP named a newly seumand return to the ChineseAcademy of preservethe sites."Meanwhile, the building discoveredaquatic reptile Hyphalosaurus. At Geological Sciences, which is also under is nowopen and digging at otherChengjiang the sametime, Li Jianjunand colleaguesof the MLR.Ji sayshis new post,principal sci- locationswill soonresume. the BeijingNatural History Museum named entistat the Instituteof Stratigraphyand Pa- Althoughprovincial authorities clearly get its mirrorimage Sinohydrosaurus, complete- leontology,will give him a chance"to reju- ly unawarethat they wereworking venatethe paleontological research work" in with the counterslabof the same the academy.Researchers hope the move specimen."This sort of confusion paves the way towardbetter relations be- arises becausethere are so many tweenthe museumand IVPP. groupsout therenot cooperating," saysHou. Illegal fruits "Notcooperating" doesn't begin A biggerproblem than professional spats over to describe the friction between jurisdictionmay be the factthat many speci- IVPPand Ji Qiang,former director mensare sold illegally to collectors.Scientists of China'sNational Geological Mu- cannever fully know what has been lost from seum. Relations soured after Ji lootingand smuggling, but there are hints. In ' Buildingties. The new Chengjiangfield station sat empty switchedfrom Paleozoic marinelife the early 1990s, dozens of dinosaureggs, for 2 years until authoritiesagreed on how to bcoth pre- and plungedinto the debateover the manywith intact embryos, were unearthed in serve sites and dig. originof birds,a primaryresearch Chinaand soon became hot items at fossiland www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL291 12 JANUARY2001 239 This content downloaded from 142.104.240.194 on Sat, 02 Jan 2016 02:51:46 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions NEWS FOCUS curiomarkets worldwide. Today, says IVPP's nate fossils to the museum,"he explains. monographon Confuciusornisincluded a Zhou Zhonghe,"all the best specimensof "Then, the museum gives them awards." sectionon howto spotdoctored specimens. eggswith embryos are now outside China." The first specimen of Sinosauropteryx, for Some localitieshave gotten serious about The immense value of specimens to example,netted the donor$750 in 1996. protection,with Yunnan officials posting full- farmerseager to escapethe grindingpoverty DirectorZhu Min admitsthat IVPP re- time guardsat some of the most prominent of ruralChina almost ensures that the loot- luctantlyemploys the same tactic,but only Chengjiangsites. In 1997, the secretary- ing will continue,however. Local govern- as a last resort.Staying above the fray,he generalof the localCommunist party person- mentsare hard-pressed to protectthe widely notes, means that "scientificallyvaluable ally supervisedfilling the quarrywith boul- scatteredsites, and police and officials can specimenswill not be in the handsof gen- dersto protectit duringthe off-season.And be bribed.Even the threatof a deathsen- uine researchers."At the sametime, IVPP's in GuizhouProvince, the local government tence, so far levied only againstthose who Chang says that specimens bought from haspaid for highway patrols. have plunderedcultural relics, isn't enough farmers"have lost muchscientific informa- But addedsecurity doesn't eliminate the to deterthe illegaltrade. tion, such as the layer,location, and the as- problem."It meanspeasants now dig less. This presentsscientists with hardchoic- sociationwith otherfossils." Looters rarely But they haven'tstopped," says IVPP'sLi es. Althoughit is illegal to buy specimens save fossil fragments,which may be valu- Jinling, flipping throughphotographs of withgovernment money, Ji saysthat the Ge- able to scientistsbut not to collectors.In- plunderedoutcrops. "I feel verysad for Chi- ologicalMuseum has useda systemof indi- deed,attempts to cementunrelated bits and nese science." -DENNISNORMILE rect payments."We ask the farmersto do- pieces togetherare so commonthat a recent Withreporting by ErikStokstad and Xiong Lei. 6 0 0sss * PARTNERS thingelse," says Will Downs of NorthernAri- zonaUniversity in Flagstaff,who is working Fruitful Collaborations withIVPP on earlymammals. Thedemand from the West is so greatthat Follow a Two-Way Street there is a shortageof top Chinesepaleon- tologistsavailable to workwith. Researchers Chinese scientists now hold many of the cards as foreignersseek access at the IVPP"are just completelyoverbooked, to a buriedpot of fossilizedgold all of them,"says Downs. But not all Chinese scientistsare equippedto enterinto collabo- NANJING-Twentyyears ago, JinYugan was $100,000in annualfunding from the Canadi- rations."First you haveto knowwhat you're one of a handfulof Chinesepaleontologists an Ex TerraFoundation, scientists excavated doing,"says IVPP'sXu Xing, who studies allowedto collaboratewith Western scientists. more than60 tons of fossils and identified feathereddinosaurs. "We don't just wantto It wasn'teasy. A seniorstratigrapher at the manynew species."I felt surethat we could haveour name out [inthe newspapers]." NanjingInstitute of Geologyand Paleontolo- workwith the Canadians on anequal