"Ubirajara", often shortened to Bira in the repatriation campaign[1][2], is a naked genus of compsognathid that lived in Brazil during the Early Cretaceous.
History
"Ubirajara" was originally discovered in Brazilian fossil mines, to which author David M. Martill bought and exported the specimen from South American museums. Brazilian fossil laws state that fossils are considered property of the state, which therefore makes selling and exporting illegal, and if it is exported, requires at least Brazilian researcher to work on the specimen. This researcher has used similar methods before, notably with an exquisitely-preserved Brazilian dolichosaur[3] fossil holotype specimen; Tetrapodophis. Since publication, it has been argued that the specimen should be transported back to the museum the fossil was to be originally brought to and further studied by Brazilian paleontologists. In the past, when questioned about unethical fossil handling, the researcher has said this about Tetrapodophis and similar specimens:
| “ | [...] doesn't care a damn how the fossil came from Brazil! [...] But what difference would it make [about partnering with a Brazilian researcher]? I mean, do you want me also to have a black person on the team for ethnicity reasons, and a cripple and a woman, and maybe a homosexual too, just for a bit of all round balance?
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- —Martill (when asked about partnering with Brazilian scientists)
After that interview, he closed with a reference to Sir Richard Owen digging bodies from graveyards to study human anatomy during the 1800s, in an attempt to justify his actions. Since then, #UbirajaraBelongsToBR has trended on Twitter in an attempt to repatriate the fossil. "Ubirajara" is not the first fossil to be illegally smuggled from Brazil, as the case for several undescribed remains from museums. However, researcher Eberhard "Dino" Frey has told may users Email that the holotype was exported legally, citing documents written in Portuguese. After further analysis, it is determined the documents appear to be genuine. They state the limestone fossils are "of no commercial value", which is a statement challenged by numerous evidence, and even the existence of an illegal fossil trade based on currency. Frey also states the team was to have a Brazilian member, who was kicked due to false documentation. This contradicts Martill openly admitting that he had not, and will not be working with a Brazilian, as Brazil's fossil laws cite as a necessity. Frey has not elaborated further on this unnamed team member. He briefly messaged inquiring people over Email, in one case, addressing a user with this response:
| “ | Does the across-the board demand of getting fossils back to their countries of provenance only refer to published material that became recognized or all of them? If you refer to all of them you will launch a worldwide movement of thousands possibly millions of fossils. What about fossils that come to life after years because of a bad preservation as in this case? [...] The national museum of brazil burnt down because of technical problems, which, despite having been known, were not repaired by the state. This is sure not the fault of my Brazilian colleagues but mirrors the responsibility of some states for their protected heritage. It still grieves me thinking what that fire destroyed. [...] See, I really accept to return specimens that were stolen from a country. However, how do you want to teach people about the wealth of prehistoric life in the world, if you cannot show legal fossils and bringing them to life by working on them? The specimen we described is deposited in a secure collection room with fire alarms and doors. It is save and available for the scientific community and after the shut-down also for the public for a limited time in a high security glass case.
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- —Part of Frey's response via Email
An illustration documenting why illegal fossils should be returned, made for the 2021 Nature article.
The Brazilian Society of Paleontology retracted the naming paper from air until the issues were resolved. The documents provided have been disputed, although they grant the study and naming of exported remains for up to 20 years. It has been brought up that the naming team has worked with Brazilian fossils and is familiar with local laws, but has failed to meet the basic expectations set by Brazilian authority. At least 10 procedures in the last 7 years have been enacted to attempt to control the illegal fossil activity in Brazil, with little success. This account for upwards of 46 specimens, including rare finds such as pterosaurs and other finds worth almost 2.5 million in total. The court ruled for the repatriation of the finds, which many argue should be the same for "Ubirajara", if not more due to the contents of the specimen. Like many priceless fossils sold in auctions and circulating on the fossil market daily, the "Ubirajara" holotype represents a fraction of smuggled fossils worldwide. Because of this incident, Brazilian authorities need to invest in improving museum infrastructure, training staff and becoming more aware of illegal activity. Because it's description was retracted before it was formally published, "Ubirajara jubatus" is considered a nomen nudum.
The Karlsruhe Natural History Museum, the institution that held "U. jubatus", has declared it is not to return the fossil due to German fossil laws stating it can not legally be returned because it was stolen before UNESCO could prohibit it, with the museum choosing to delete comments rather than to take action. However, this has been met with backlash, since the same institution has broken fossil laws before; but also because German fossil law is in need of change[4][5][6][7][8][9]. SMNK then went on to state that the holotype was obtained from the black market. A spokesperson then stated it was not retrieved by Frey and the 1995 date was inaccurate, with a private company taking it in 2006 and then retrieved in 2009. These conflicting accounts led to Frey choosing to not respond. In September 2021, the "U. jubatus" paper was fully withdrawn[10]. In 2021, Juan C. Cisneros, Aline M. Ghilardi, Nussaïbah B. Raja and Paul P. Stewens, all of which heavy advocates behind the repatriation campaign, published a note in Nature detailing the moral, legal and economic imperative to return stolen fossils[11]. It was found that Frey had given misleading info on the origin of the holotype and that legal action may be taken[12].
In July 2022, State Minister of Science Theresia Bauer proposed the repatriation of the specimen at the Baden-Württemberg cabinet, noting the import of the specimen is ambiguous and that it may be illegal. The museum replied with false information and could not prove that the specimen was a legal addition. Bauer suggests that the returning of the specimen is imperative and justified, The German Foreign Office returns the same sentiment, having received a letter from Brazil asking for repatriation, stating that returning would heal the reputation of the museum[13]. On Tuesday July 19, 2022, when said conference took place, they decided that the specimen would be returned as it was imperative[14]. In May 2023, it was announced that, after over two years of discussion, the holotype specimen would be returned to Brazil and would set a worldwide precedent when the community "speaks out and denounces such situations"[15]. It arrived in Brazil on June 5th for housing at Museum of Paleontology Plácido Cidade Nuvens[16].
Description
The holotype, SMNK PAL 29241, is a juvenile, possibly male, partially articulate male individual. The shoulder is 81% of the length of the humerus, as seen in compsognathids, The top profile of the neural spines of the sacrals are 15-27% longer than their bases when in the side profile, which differs from the much longer Mirischia. The granulate structures in the torso were found to be adipocere, as they lack food contents, so are unlikely to be intestines. Additionally, they lack a scale structure. "Ubirajara" has a "mane" of proto-feathers that ran down the neck and back, also covering the arm, up the hand and stopping at the claws, This slender monofilamentous integument elongates nearer to the posterior of the animal, reaching 11 centimeters long at the 9th and 10th dorsals. These filaments don't bifurcate, having a diameter of 0.3 millimeters and a hollowed core. The remaining skin has a series of 19 rectangular vertical structures, interpreted as filament follicles. The muscles in the skin would have allowed for the mane to erect. Shrinking saline lagoon conditions in the Crato Formation would have erected the mane postmortem, which is observed in the fossil
Strange integument 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) long reached from its sides, with the left side showing a pair of straight, elongate projections. A similar element is assumed to have existed on the right. The upper projection is 15 centimeters long and the lower 14 centimeters. They are reinforced by a central, sharp, longitudinal ridge 0.1 millimeters wide. The upper projection is 4.5 millimeters in width and 2.5 millimeters in the lower with parallel sides which taper nearer to the distal. No ossification is present. They compared this to broad monofilamentous integument to the standardwing bird-of-paradise, speculating the ribbon-like structures might have been display structures, possibly becoming erect during courtship, It is also proposed they may have vibrated and made noise, and that such a display in a juvenile is exceptional. This is not known in modern neornithes, but has been reported in enantiornithes and Zuolong. They also notes that structures like this are limited to the tail in the derived paraves, but this has been suggested to remain aerodynamic. Compsognathids would, thus, not have been hindered by such a structure, since they did not fly. That simple filament could evolve into a complex display structure indicates pennaceous feathers were not evolved for display reasons, contrary from previous assumptions.
Most dinosaurs that preserve vast arrays of feather and similar structures are usually maniraptoriformes and small ornithischians. "Ubirajara" represents the first non-avian theropod preserving filamentous integument, which is amplified by the preservation of keratin and corpse wax alongside it[17][18].
Classification
"Ubirajara" was assigned Compsognathidae as a sister taxon to a clade formed by Sinosauropteryx and Compsognathus[19]. In 2023, a review of the taxonomic stability of the proposed combination, "U. jubatus", was published by Caetano and colleagues. They determined that the name is irrelevant due to it's retraction and presents no nomenclatural meaning, nor availability[20].
Gallery
Figures
Reconstructions
References