WEST FARGO, N.D. (AP) – A dinosaur jawbone, dozens of other fossils and replicas of dinosaurs recently were stolen from the West Fargo garage of a former fossil shop owner, police said Wednesday.

Gary Olson called West Fargo police on Monday after discovering someone had burglarized a garage he owns. The break-in happened between May 15 and Monday, Olson said.

“The fossils are irreplaceable,” said Olson, who formerly operated Dinosaurs and More, a museum, gift store and fossil restoration lab. He said he is checking pawn shops and Internet auction sites to see if the thief or thieves have attempted to sell the stolen goods.

Mike Reitan, assistant West Fargo police chief, told The Forum newspaper that authorities had no suspects.

One of the stolen fossils is the jawbone of a mosasaur, a prehistoric marine reptile, Olson said. The fossil is estimated to be worth $20,000 or more.

The thief also took at least 30 models of dinosaurs, skulls and skeletons, Olson said.

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Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com

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