Battle over smuggled dinosaur bones

Dealer Pleads Guilty to Smuggling in Largest International Dino Case Ever
Just as this dinosaur specimen, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, went up for auction on May 20, a question arose as to whether or not it was taken illegally from Mongolia. (Wynne Parry)

A Florida man was arrested Oct. 17 for smuggling stolen dinosaur bones into the U.S. from Mongolia and China and selling them for up to $1.1 million, according to federal officials. This dinosaur, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, is now the subject of legal battle over whether or not it can be sold in the U.S. The president of Mongolia says it was almost certainly smuggled out of the country.