The News-Times

Are fossils minerals? Millions at stake

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The discovery of two fossilized dinosaur skeletons intertwine­d in what looks like a final death match could make a Montana ranching couple rich beyond their dreams. Or they may have to share the wealth.

It all comes down to how the state Supreme Court answers a seemingly simple question: Are fossils minerals? The Montana justices heard arguments Thursday but did not rule right away.

The outcome is key to a dispute over ownership of the “dueling dinosaurs,” worth more than $5 million, and distributi­on of millions of dollars in proceeds from the sale of other fossils unearthed from clay and sandstone in a fossilrich area of central Montana.

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