U.S. government seizes dinosaur fossil in NYC, say it was unjustly taken from Mongolia

An image from documents released from the U.S. Attorney's office, Monday, June 18, 2012 shows the fossil of a Tyrannosaurus bataar dinosaur at the center of a lawsuit demanding its return to Mongolia. / AP Photo/U.S Attorney Office for the Southern District of New York

(AP) NEW YORK - The U.S. government has seized a dinosaur skeleton in New York City that it says was unjustly taken from Mongolia.

The crates holding the Tyrannosaurus bataar fossil were held at a Queens storage facility. The seizure was carried out Friday

A Florida man, Eric Prokopi, says he legitimately obtained the specimen he refers to as "Ty."

Prokopi says he put it together at great expense before it was sold at auction for more than $1 million.

NY judge orders US to seize dinosaur skeleton

The sale is contingent on the outcome of litigation. The government sued earlier this week to seize the dinosaur for a return to Mongolia.

The head paleontologist with New York's American Museum of Natural History, Mark Norell, said Friday that the fossil should be returned quickly to Mongolia.

[rwsmith29456]

It doesn't say when he bought it. If it was a long time ago, I'll bet nobody would even think twice about buying the bones and taking them out of Mongolia. Times change and what was ok back when isn't ok today.

[xiloilx]

This will just hurt archaeology in Mongolia. The guy obviously payed a great sum of money to find this fossil and assemble it. If the king of Mongolia was really a king he would have just payed the 1mil for the fossil instead of ******** out like a snitch faced cop caller.

[TheprofromDover]

In reality, they busted the dinosaur for smoking cigarettes and drinking a Big Gulp Coke.

[rwsmith29456]

That is extremely funny.