Paleontology news

Nathan Lee Murphy, an amateur paleontologist charged with taking a fossil of a rare turkey-size dinosaur predator from private land near Malta, pleaded guilty to a state charge of felony theft. Mr. Murphy, once a highly regarded paleontologist, led teams that found other unusual dinosaur fossils in north-central Montana, including a rare mummified dinosaur named Leonardo. Federal authorities have also charged Mr. Murphy with a felony for the alleged theft of dinosaur fossils from public land. Those charges are pending.