Figure caption, Tyrannosaurus rex fossil sells for record price at auction
ByEsme Stallard
Climate and science reporter
A 67 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex has been sold for £37.4m ($50.1m) at a Sotheby’s auction in New York – the most ever paid for a dinosaur.
The fossil of this infamous predator stands more than 12 feet (4m) tall, and with over 60% of its bones recovered is one of “the most complete” specimens ever found, according to Sotheby’s.
The winning bidder at the sale on Tuesday has not yet been disclosed.
Gus, as the T. rex has been affectionately named, was discovered in 2021 on a remote ranch in the US State of South Dakota.
Image source, Matthew Sherman
“This result has been years in the making,” said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s worldwide head of science and natural history.
“Gus is not only an exceptional find, but a specimen that’s been excavated, documented, prepared, and cared for with real excellence.”
The sale exceeded the previous record set by a stegosaurus in 2024, and is the first to exceed the $50m benchmark.
Some scientists have told the BBC that the auction may herald a new era in fossil collecting by the ultra-rich.
Image source, Matthew Sherman
Image caption, The skull indicated a life of danger for the T. rex nicknamed Gus
Hatton says the price paid reflects the time and resources that went into uncovering the specimen.
The bones were excavated over three summers, when it was warm enough for the ground to have thawed, from 2021 to 2023.
But it took a further three years in the lab to piece the T. rex back together.
This work revealed the skull had bite marks, and previously broken ribs that had healed in its lifetime.
Both injuries were potentially sustained during scavenging or during a battle with other dinosaurs.
It may be some time before the buyer is revealed, but Apex, the stegosaurus who held the last record, was loaned out to the American Natural History Museum for four years by its billionaire-owner Kenneth Griffin.
So, even if Gus has attracted an ultra-wealthy buyer it still might be coming to a museum near you soon.
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