Latest news with #palaeontologist
BBC News
10-08-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Mars rock wey dem find for Niger sell for millions in New York - now di kontri dey find ansas
"Brazen! E dey brazen!" Prof Paul Sereno tok dis on di phone line from Chicago. E make no effort to disguise im anger becos one rare meteorite from Mars wey dem discover two years ago in West African nation of Niger, dem end up to auction am off in New York last month to one unnamed buyer. Di palaeontologist, e get close connection wit di kontri, believe say make dem return am to Niger. Dis millions-of-years-old piece of di Red Planet, di largest ever wey dem find on Earth, fetch $4.3m (£3.2m) for Sotheby. Like di buyer, di seller also dey anonymous. But e dey unclear if any of dis money go reach Niger. Fragments of extraterrestrial material wey make am to Earth don inspire some reverence among humans – some end up as religious objects, odas as curiosities for display. More recently, many don become di subject of scientific study. Di trade in meteorites don dey compared to di art market, wit aesthetics and rarity affecting di price. At first, sense of surprise surround di public display of dis extraordinary Martian find – less dan 400 of di 50,000 meteorites wey dem discover come from our planetary neighbour. Di photographs wey Sotheby take of di 24.7kg (54lb) rock – appear in di lights to glow silver and red – compound dis feeling. But den some pipo start to ask questions about how e end up under di auctioneer hammer. Di goment of Niger inside one statement, "express doubts about di legality of di export, raising concern about possible illicit international trafficking". Sotheby strongly disagree, e tok say dem follow di correct procedures, but Niger don launch investigation into di circumstances of di discovery and sale of di meteorite, wey dem don name NWA 16788 (NWA standing for north-west Africa). Dem no make di information about how e end up for world-renowed US auction house for public One Italian academic article wey dem publish last year tok say e dem find am on 16 November 2023 in di Sahara Desert in Niger Agadez region, 90km (56 miles) to di west of di Chirfa Oasis, by "one meteorite hunter, wey im identity remain undisclose". Meteorites fit fall anywia on Earth, but becos of di favourable climate for preservation and di lack of human disturbance, di Sahara don become one prime spot for dia discovery. Pipo scour di inhospitable landscape stretching across several kontris in di hope of finding one to sell on. According to di Italian article, NWA 16788, "na local community sell am to international dealer" and den dem transfer am to private gallery in di Italian city of Arezzo. In di acknowledgements, di authors thank Luca Cableri, name am as di owner of di meteorite. Di University of Florence magazine describe di pesin as "important Italian gallery owner". One team of scientists wey Giovanni Pratesi, mineralogy professor at di university, lead examine am to learn more about di structure and wia e come from. Di meteorite den briefly on display last year in Italy, including at di Italian Space Agency in Rome. Dem see am next in New York last month, minus two slices dey stay in Italy for more research. Sotheby tok say NWA 16788 wey dem "export from Niger and transport in line wit all relevant international procedures. "As wit everything we sell, all relevant documentation dey in order at each stage of dia journey, in accordance wit best practice and di requirement of di kontris involve." One tok-tok pesin add say Sotheby dey aware of report say Niger dey investigate di export of di meteorite and "we are reviewing di information available to us in light of di question wey dem raise". Prof Sereno, wey found di organisation Niger Heritage one decade ago, dey convinced dem break Nigerien law. Di academic wit di University of Chicago, don spend years uncovering di kontri vast deposits of dinosaur bones in di Sahara, campaigns to get Niger cultural and natural heritage – including anything wey fall from outer space - return. One stunning museum on di island for River Niger, e dey run through di capital, Niamey, plan to house dis artefacts. "International law tok say you no fit simply take sometin wey dey important to di heritage of di kontri - weda na cultural item, physical item, natural item, extraterrestrial item - out of di kontri. You know we don move on from colonial times wen all dis dey okay," Prof Sereno tok. One series of global agreements, including under di UN cultural organisation Unesco, don try to regulate di trade of dis objects. But, according to one 2019 study by international law expert Max Gounelle, wen e come to meteorites, while dem fit dey included, some ambiguity remain about weda dem dey covered by dis agreements. Dem leave am to individual states to clarify di position. Niger pass e own law in 1997 aim at protecting dia heritage. Prof Sereno point to one section wit detailed list of all di categories includind. "Mineralogical specimens" wey dem mention among di art works, architecture and archaeological find but dem no specifically mention meteorites. Inside one statement on di Sotheby's sale, Niger admit say e neva "get specific legislation on meteorites" - one line wey di auction house also point out. But e remain unclear how pesin fit get such heavy, conspicuous artefact out of di kontri without di authorities clearly noticing. Morocco don face similar issue wit di huge number of meteorites - more dan 1,000 - wey dem don find within di borders. More dan two decades ago di kontri experience wetin author Helen Gordon describe as "Saharan gold rush", fuel in part by laxer regulations and more stable political environment dan some of dia neighbours. For her recent book The Meteorites, she write say Morocco na "one of di world greatest exporters of space rocks". Prof Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane don spend much of di past 25 years trying to hold on to some of dat extraterrestrial material for her kontri. "Na part of us, na part of our heritage… na part of our identity and e dey important to dey proud of di richness of di kontri," di geologist tell di BBC. Di professor no dey against di trade in meteorites but e dey instrumental in di introduction of measures aim at regulating di business. In 2011, Prof Chennaoui wey dey responsible for gathering material in di desert from one observed meteorite fall turn out to be from Mars. Later name di Tissint meteorite, e weigh 7kg in all, but now she say only 30g remain in Morocco. Some of di rest dey for museums around di world, wit di biggest piece on display for London Natural History Museum. Reflecting on di fate of Niger Martian meteorite, she tok say she no dey surprise na "something wey dey I don dey live wit for 25 years. na pity, we no fit dey happy wit this, but na di same state for all our kontris." Prof Sereno hope say di Sotheby sale go prove turning-point - firstly by motivating di Nigerien authorities to act and secondly "if e ever see di light of day for public museum, [di museum] go get to deal wit di fact say Niger dey openly contest for am".
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mars rock found in Niger sells for millions in New York - now the country wants answers
"Brazen! It is brazen!" Prof Paul Sereno says down the phone line from Chicago. He makes no effort to disguise his anger that a rare meteorite from Mars discovered two years ago in the West African nation of Niger ended up being auctioned off in New York last month to an unnamed buyer. The palaeontologist, who has close connections with the country, believes it should be back in Niger. This millions-of-years-old piece of the Red Planet, the largest ever found on Earth, fetched $4.3m (£3.2m) at Sotheby's. Like the buyer, the seller was kept anonymous. But it is unclear if any of this money went to Niger. Fragments of extraterrestrial material that have made their way to Earth have long inspired reverence among humans – some ending up as religious objects, others as curiosities for display. More recently, many have become the subject of scientific study. The trade in meteorites has been compared to the art market, with aesthetics and rarity affecting the price. At first, there was a sense of awe surrounding the public display of this extraordinary Martian find – less than 400 of the 50,000 meteorites discovered have been shown to come from our planetary neighbour. The photographs taken at Sotheby's of the 24.7kg (54lb) rock – appearing in the lights to glow silver and red – compounded this feeling. But then some people started asking questions about how it ended up under the auctioneer's hammer. Not least the government of Niger itself, which, in a statement, "expressed doubts about the legality of its export, raising concerns about possible illicit international trafficking". Sotheby's strongly disputes this, saying the correct procedures were followed, but Niger has now launched an investigation into the circumstances of the discovery and sale of the meteorite, which has been given the scientific and unromantic name NWA 16788 (NWA standing for north-west Africa). Little has been made public about how it ended up at a world-renowned auction house in the US. An Italian academic article published last year said that it was found on 16 November 2023 in the Sahara Desert in Niger's Agadez region, 90km (56 miles) to the west of the Chirfa Oasis, by "a meteorite hunter, whose identity remained undisclosed". Meteorites can fall anywhere on Earth, but because of the favourable climate for preservation and the lack of human disturbance, the Sahara has become a prime spot for their discovery. People scour the inhospitable landscape stretching across several countries in the hope of finding one to sell on. According to the Italian article, NWA 16788, was "sold by the local community to an international dealer" and was then transferred to a private gallery in the Italian city of Arezzo. The University of Florence's magazine described the person as "an important Italian gallery owner". A team of scientists led by Giovanni Pratesi, mineralogy professor at the university, was able to examine it to learn more about its structure and where it came from. The meteorite was then briefly on display last year in Italy, including at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. It was next seen in public in New York last month, minus two slices that stayed in Italy for more research. Sotheby's said that NWA 16788 was "exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedures. "As with everything we sell, all relevant documentation was in order at each stage of its journey, in accordance with best practice and the requirements of the countries involved." A spokesperson added that Sotheby's was aware of reports that Niger is investigating the export of the meteorite and "we are reviewing the information available to us in light of the question raised". Prof Sereno, who founded the organisation Niger Heritage a decade ago, is convinced Nigerien law was broken. The academic with the University of Chicago, who has spent years uncovering the country's vast deposits of dinosaur bones in the Sahara, campaigns to get Niger's cultural and natural heritage – including anything that has fallen from outer space - returned. A stunning museum on an island on the River Niger that runs through the capital, Niamey, is being planned to house these artefacts. "International law says you cannot simply take something that is important to the heritage of a country - be it a cultural item, a physical item, a natural item, an extraterrestrial item - out of the country. You know we've moved on from colonial times when all this was okay," Prof Sereno says. A series of global agreements, including under the UN's cultural organisation Unesco, have tried to regulate the trade in these objects. But, according to a 2019 study by international law expert Max Gounelle, when it comes to meteorites, while they could be included, there remains some ambiguity about whether they are covered by these agreements. It is left to individual states to clarify the position. Niger passed its own law in 1997 aimed at protecting its heritage. Prof Sereno points to one section with a detailed list of all the categories included. "Mineralogical specimens" are mentioned among the art works, architecture and archaeological finds but meteorites are not specifically named. In its statement on the Sotheby's sale, Niger admitted that it "does not yet have specific legislation on meteorites" - a line that the auction house also pointed out. But it remains unclear how someone was able to get such a heavy, conspicuous artefact out of the country without the authorities apparently noticing. Morocco has faced a similar issue with the huge number of meteorites - more than 1,000 - found within its borders, which include a part of the Sahara. More than two decades ago the country experienced what author Helen Gordon described as a "Saharan gold rush", fuelled in part by laxer regulations and a more stable political environment than some of its neighbours. In her recent book The Meteorites, she wrote that Morocco was "one of the world's greatest exporters of space rocks". Prof Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane has spent much of the past 25 years trying to hold on to some of that extraterrestrial material for her country. "It's a part of us, it's a part of our heritage… it's part of our identity and it's important to be proud of the richness of the country," the geologist tells the BBC. The professor is not against the trade in meteorites but has been instrumental in the introduction of measures aimed at regulating the business. She admits though that the new rules have not been entirely successful in stemming the flow of the meteorites. In 2011, Prof Chennaoui was responsible for gathering material in the desert from an observed meteorite fall that turned out to be from Mars. Later named the Tissint meteorite, it weighed 7kg in all, but now she says only 30g remain in Morocco. Some of the rest is in museums around the world, with the biggest piece on display in London's Natural History Museum. Reflecting on the fate of Niger's Martian meteorite, she says she was not surprised as it is "something that I'm living with for 25 years. It's a pity, we cannot be happy with this, but it's the same state in all our countries." Prof Sereno hopes that the Sotheby's sale will prove a turning-point - firstly by motivating the Nigerien authorities to act and secondly "if it ever sees the light of day in a public museum, [the museum] is going to have to deal with the fact that Niger is openly contesting it". You may also be interested in: Sotheby's returns Buddha jewels to India after uproar Meteorite smugglers anger scientists Nasa Mars rover: Meteorite to head home to Red Planet Antarctic meteorites yield global bombardment rate A fireball, a driveway and a priceless meteorite Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mars rock found in Niger sells for millions in New York - now the country wants answers
"Brazen! It is brazen!" Prof Paul Sereno says down the phone line from Chicago. He makes no effort to disguise his anger that a rare meteorite from Mars discovered two years ago in the West African nation of Niger ended up being auctioned off in New York last month to an unnamed buyer. The palaeontologist, who has close connections with the country, believes it should be back in Niger. This millions-of-years-old piece of the Red Planet, the largest ever found on Earth, fetched $4.3m (£3.2m) at Sotheby's. Like the buyer, the seller was kept anonymous. But it is unclear if any of this money went to Niger. Fragments of extraterrestrial material that have made their way to Earth have long inspired reverence among humans – some ending up as religious objects, others as curiosities for display. More recently, many have become the subject of scientific study. The trade in meteorites has been compared to the art market, with aesthetics and rarity affecting the price. At first, there was a sense of awe surrounding the public display of this extraordinary Martian find – less than 400 of the 50,000 meteorites discovered have been shown to come from our planetary neighbour. The photographs taken at Sotheby's of the 24.7kg (54lb) rock – appearing in the lights to glow silver and red – compounded this feeling. But then some people started asking questions about how it ended up under the auctioneer's hammer. Not least the government of Niger itself, which, in a statement, "expressed doubts about the legality of its export, raising concerns about possible illicit international trafficking". Sotheby's strongly disputes this, saying the correct procedures were followed, but Niger has now launched an investigation into the circumstances of the discovery and sale of the meteorite, which has been given the scientific and unromantic name NWA 16788 (NWA standing for north-west Africa). Little has been made public about how it ended up at a world-renowned auction house in the US. An Italian academic article published last year said that it was found on 16 November 2023 in the Sahara Desert in Niger's Agadez region, 90km (56 miles) to the west of the Chirfa Oasis, by "a meteorite hunter, whose identity remained undisclosed". Meteorites can fall anywhere on Earth, but because of the favourable climate for preservation and the lack of human disturbance, the Sahara has become a prime spot for their discovery. People scour the inhospitable landscape stretching across several countries in the hope of finding one to sell on. According to the Italian article, NWA 16788, was "sold by the local community to an international dealer" and was then transferred to a private gallery in the Italian city of Arezzo. The University of Florence's magazine described the person as "an important Italian gallery owner". A team of scientists led by Giovanni Pratesi, mineralogy professor at the university, was able to examine it to learn more about its structure and where it came from. The meteorite was then briefly on display last year in Italy, including at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. It was next seen in public in New York last month, minus two slices that stayed in Italy for more research. Sotheby's said that NWA 16788 was "exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedures. "As with everything we sell, all relevant documentation was in order at each stage of its journey, in accordance with best practice and the requirements of the countries involved." A spokesperson added that Sotheby's was aware of reports that Niger is investigating the export of the meteorite and "we are reviewing the information available to us in light of the question raised". Prof Sereno, who founded the organisation Niger Heritage a decade ago, is convinced Nigerien law was broken. The academic with the University of Chicago, who has spent years uncovering the country's vast deposits of dinosaur bones in the Sahara, campaigns to get Niger's cultural and natural heritage – including anything that has fallen from outer space - returned. A stunning museum on an island on the River Niger that runs through the capital, Niamey, is being planned to house these artefacts. "International law says you cannot simply take something that is important to the heritage of a country - be it a cultural item, a physical item, a natural item, an extraterrestrial item - out of the country. You know we've moved on from colonial times when all this was okay," Prof Sereno says. A series of global agreements, including under the UN's cultural organisation Unesco, have tried to regulate the trade in these objects. But, according to a 2019 study by international law expert Max Gounelle, when it comes to meteorites, while they could be included, there remains some ambiguity about whether they are covered by these agreements. It is left to individual states to clarify the position. Niger passed its own law in 1997 aimed at protecting its heritage. Prof Sereno points to one section with a detailed list of all the categories included. "Mineralogical specimens" are mentioned among the art works, architecture and archaeological finds but meteorites are not specifically named. In its statement on the Sotheby's sale, Niger admitted that it "does not yet have specific legislation on meteorites" - a line that the auction house also pointed out. But it remains unclear how someone was able to get such a heavy, conspicuous artefact out of the country without the authorities apparently noticing. Morocco has faced a similar issue with the huge number of meteorites - more than 1,000 - found within its borders, which include a part of the Sahara. More than two decades ago the country experienced what author Helen Gordon described as a "Saharan gold rush", fuelled in part by laxer regulations and a more stable political environment than some of its neighbours. In her recent book The Meteorites, she wrote that Morocco was "one of the world's greatest exporters of space rocks". Prof Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane has spent much of the past 25 years trying to hold on to some of that extraterrestrial material for her country. "It's a part of us, it's a part of our heritage… it's part of our identity and it's important to be proud of the richness of the country," the geologist tells the BBC. The professor is not against the trade in meteorites but has been instrumental in the introduction of measures aimed at regulating the business. She admits though that the new rules have not been entirely successful in stemming the flow of the meteorites. In 2011, Prof Chennaoui was responsible for gathering material in the desert from an observed meteorite fall that turned out to be from Mars. Later named the Tissint meteorite, it weighed 7kg in all, but now she says only 30g remain in Morocco. Some of the rest is in museums around the world, with the biggest piece on display in London's Natural History Museum. Reflecting on the fate of Niger's Martian meteorite, she says she was not surprised as it is "something that I'm living with for 25 years. It's a pity, we cannot be happy with this, but it's the same state in all our countries." Prof Sereno hopes that the Sotheby's sale will prove a turning-point - firstly by motivating the Nigerien authorities to act and secondly "if it ever sees the light of day in a public museum, [the museum] is going to have to deal with the fact that Niger is openly contesting it". You may also be interested in: Sotheby's returns Buddha jewels to India after uproar Meteorite smugglers anger scientists Nasa Mars rover: Meteorite to head home to Red Planet Antarctic meteorites yield global bombardment rate A fireball, a driveway and a priceless meteorite Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
