Bristol in dinosaur bone tussle

Moscow.

An international dispute is raging between Russia's leading dinosaur research institute and Bristol University over 30 kilograms of 150 million-year-old fossilised pterodactyl bones.

The Russian Academy of Science's Moscow-based Palaeontological Institute claims the fossils, which uniquely include tissue as well as bone remains, were lent to Bristol's geological department for a specific term as part of a Royal Society programme and should have been returned two years ago.

Bristol refutes this, saying it has clear, written agreements extending the loan until detailed research work is completed on the pterosaurus sordes pilosus, or "fury devil", a Jurassic flying dinosaur the size of a pigeon.

It believes political reasons lie behind the allegations connected with a current German court case in which a dealer in rare fossils claims he obtained material from the Palaeontological Institute.

But Igor Novikov, deputy director of science at the institute, insists that under a joint Moscow-Bristol programme on vertebrate palaeontology, set up in 1993, the remains were lent to Bristol for two years and should have been returned in September 1995.

Bristol replied to repeated demands for the return of the material with requests for loan extensions, Dr Novikov said. "The behaviour of the university looks a little strange to me because before this time we have never had problems with a collection out on loan."

Bristol researchers had intimated that they feared for the security of the material at the institute, he added. He allowed that there have been thefts of mammoth tusks and some amphibian skulls from the institute in recent years. But other material that appeared to be missing had been mislaid through poor record-keeping, rather than theft, he insists.

"The question of security is a point of view held by enemies of the institute. Despite the fact we receive only 40 per cent of our budget from the government, we have been successful in attracting the balance through exhibition earnings and international grants. The American company Chevron, for example, provided $10,000 for development of the institute's museum, and more than $500,000 has come via a Swedish grant designed to upgrade preservation and security and develop research," he said.

Don Carleton, the university's head of information, said the agreement allowing Bristol to keep the material until research into how sordes pilosus flew was completed had been formally and properly extended.

"Bristol University absolutely refutes any suggestion that we have improperly obtained these bones. This is extremely damaging to our academic reputation. We have not made any suggestions that the material would be in danger if it were returned to Moscow and we have a written, signed agreement that the material can stay here until the work is completed," he said.