8 The Tanis Fossil Site and Paleontology on Private Land
8 The Tanis Fossil Site and Paleontology on Private Land
Introduction
Tanis is a South Dakota fossil site that was discovered by commercial paleontologists in 2008. Tanis contains fossils preserved immediately following the Chicxulub asteroid (famous for causing a mass extinction) and is the first-known site of its kind. Initial discoveries of well-preserved fish prompted the recruitment of Ph.D. student Robert DePalma to the site. DePalma has worked at the site since, publishing initial findings in 2017 and then a full paper in 2019 (Smithsonian).
Along with some incredible findings, though, Tanis has also been the source of some controversy. The site is located on private property, and the landowner has given long-term paleontological rights to DePalma. While the information gathered at the site is critical to understanding the asteroid impact and the time period immediately after it, the fossils are owned by DePalma rather than any public institution. The ownership of fossils as well as some of DePalma’s research practices have faced criticism from fellow researchers (Macleans).
Who owns the right to scientific knowledge? When it comes to archaeology and artifacts preserved from earlier humans, there are often clear colonizer/colonized dynamics; in this case, the resource is valuable for informational rather than cultural significance. This draws into question who owns or who should control the flow of information from this dig site. Should institutions always have control over caring for dinosaur bones (as is more the case with fossils found on public land), or is private ownership just as effective? What systems and policies should be put in place to ensure that we can learn the most about the past?
Background knowledge
The scientific importance of the archaeological site:
Tanis is a one-of-a-kind site that demonstrates the immediate aftermath of the Chicxulub asteroid, which resulted in massive climate disruption and plant and animal extinctions. Uncovered artifacts were buried on a scale of 10 minutes to a few hours after the asteroid impact (PNAS).
Some of the especially notable artifacts include:
- Fish with ejecta spherules in their gills were found at the site. These spherules were produced in the immediate aftermath of the impact.
- Feathers that may have come from large dinosaurs
- The first example of a dinosaur probably killed by the actual asteroid impact: a thescelosaurus
- An intact egg with an embryo fossil
- Rare pterosaur fossils
- Fragments probably from the Chicxulub asteroid
These artifacts open a window into one of the most deadly days in earth’s history and make Tanis an incredibly rich and fascinating site.
More than just Robert DePalma and the paleontological community have become interested in Tanis. A recent documentary by the BBC showed the process of fossil discovery and brought life to the site with artistic recreations of what may have happened on that day.
(I definitely recommend watching the whole documentary,