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 CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - A rare and prized fossil of the feathered Archaeopteryx — thought to be Earth's first bird — has become something of an albatross to a small Wyoming museum.
While the scientific significance of the fossil is unquestioned and its monetary value thought to be in excess of $1 million, the fact that it is bound for a private museum has drawn scorn from some scientists.
"Ethically, in our profession, if a specimen is not in the public domain its scientific worth is about zero," said Kevin Padian, a curator of paleontology and professor at the University of California at Berkeley.
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