Unfortunately for us Maltese I found this while searching for information on fossilized reptiles from Malta:
http://www.fossilmall.com/EDCOPE_Enterp ... ssil10.htm
Maltese law explicitly forbids export and sale of geological materials so this is probably indicative of lax customs procedures and/ or ignorance of said law from those who should actually enforce it at the airport or at the post office.
The price tag is incredible.
And last but not least, the sellers are grossly incompetent in the science they profit so much from. The genus Cocodrylus (sic) does not even exist. The only crocodiles found in Maltese rocks are Tomistoma gaudensis (a skull can be seen at the Natural History Museum in Mdina) and Tomistoma champsoides.
sale of rare Maltese fossil for a hefty sum
Moderators: MWP admin, IL-PINE
There are many such vertebrate fossils in Maltese rocks, mostly in Quaternary deposits like that at Ghar Dalam. Though it's not the first time I've come across shark vertebrae and teeth in the Green Sandstone stratum.IL-PINE wrote:wow! this is gross.....
I did not even know we had such fossils, let alone that they would be sold abroad....
unfortunately it is the same regarding Maltese shells.....
Shark Tooth Pendant ??
David,
A very simple question for you !!
Are you still the proud owner of an Australiam Shark's tooth
pendant ?
How long have you had it now, if it is still in your possession?
A very simple question for you !!
Are you still the proud owner of an Australiam Shark's tooth
pendant ?
How long have you had it now, if it is still in your possession?
Roland Camilleri B.Ec. FCPA.
Re: Shark Tooth Pendant ??
HeyROLCAM wrote:David,
A very simple question for you !!
Are you still the proud owner of an Australiam Shark's tooth
pendant ?
How long have you had it now, if it is still in your possession?
Yes I must say I'm still the proud owner of that tooth! The species to which that tooth belongs is Isurus oxyrinchus which is now unfortunately regarded as a vulnerable species. I think it's been in my possession for about seven to ten years now, at least!
That's a very wild assumption. From my experience, the greatest enemy of Malta, as a country, it's heritage, and it's nature, are the Maltese. The Maltese dump in the countryside. The Maltese vandalise historical monuments. The Maltese burn trees. The Maltese shoot protected species many of which might otherwise breed here. The Maltese build probably the ugliest houses in the world. The Maltese consider building acres of countryside as progress.MWP admin wrote:Foreigners come here to steal our natural heritage and sell overseas.
Very often it is foreigners who are shocked by what we do, and protest. Then we tell them to mind their own business.
Factually in relation to this case, for one it is very unlikely that mercenary fossil hunters would come to Malta when there are far choicier pickings to be taken in other countries, secondly the price tag which in reality is a pittance, would not be worth anyone's while if they were doing it for the money.
RB
RB: I did not mean to generalize the thing, but it was just an instant expression of anger when I saw the site. Nevertheless, they (foreigners or not) are not justified because some Maltese perform plenty of such stupid things to our nature. My point is that we should not let this to keep on, and publishing that on a website, one (maltese incl.) might take the idea to rub his hands (=make money) out of it and the disease spreads like plague! At least he should remove Maltese and write Mediterranean fossil!
Ma tafx x'jigri Malta meta xi hadd jaqla lira sew min xi haga hekk.
Ma tafx x'jigri Malta meta xi hadd jaqla lira sew min xi haga hekk.