A Tyrannosaurus rex The skeleton, nicknamed “Gus”, became the most valuable dinosaur fossil bought at auction.
The fossil, discovered on a South Dakota cattle ranch in 2021, sold for US$50.1 million ($71.8 million) after a 10-minute battle between seven bidders at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
“Gus” is one of the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, containing 183 fossilized bones.
The giant beast lived approximately 72 to 66 million years ago, a period characterized by a warm climate, high sea levels and vast flooded coastal plains.
The skeleton was discovered on a cattle farm in South Dakota. (Delivery: Sotheby’s)
The skeleton is 11.6 meters long, making it one of the largest yet discovered.
It is approximately 63 percent complete.
Tuesday’s purchase by an anonymous buyer highlights the growing market for dinosaur bones, a trend that has prompted criticism from some paleontologists that specimens are moving into private hands.
“The United States is the only country in the world where fossils like this are considered personal property,” Cassandra Hutton, head of Sotheby’s science and natural history department, told AFP before the auction.
“If you own the land, you own the fossils and you have the right to sell them. So if you want a dinosaur, this is the only place you can get it.”
she said.
The previous fossil auction record was the stegosaurus “Apex”, bought for US$44.6 million ($64 million) in 2024 by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin.
AFP