NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world’s largest and most complete specimens was sold for a record $50.1 million Tuesday to a mystery bidder.
Sotheby’s said the 67-million-year-old fossil, nicknamed 鈥淕us,鈥� is now the set of dinosaur bones ever auctioned off, besting the almost for a nearly complete stegosaurus sold by the same New York auction house in 2024. The previous record holder had been a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton that sold for nearly $32 million in 2020.
鈥淕us is not only an exceptional find, but a specimen that鈥檚 been excavated, documented, prepared, and cared for with real excellence,鈥� Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby鈥檚 vice chair, said after the sale was completed. 鈥淭he market responds when great specimens are taken care of in the right way.鈥�
Why the bidding for this T. rex was intense
Standing upright with its tail extended and right foot slightly raised, 鈥淕us鈥� is an adult dinosaur specimen measuring about 12 陆 feet (3.8 meters) tall and 38 feet (11.5 meters) long.
He’s about 61% complete, with what Sotheby’s describes as an 鈥渆xceptionally preserved鈥� skull including a gaping jaw of powerful teeth, two 鈥渨ell represented鈥� feet and a number of rarely found bones, including a furcula, or wishbone.
The fossil was discovered in 2021 on a ranch in South Dakota and named in honor of property owner Gary Licking, who died during the roughly five year excavation, restoration and mounting process.
The auction house said the winner, who participated by phone and wants to remain anonymous, outbid six other prospective buyers during Tuesday’s 10-minute bidding battle. The piece had been estimated to fetch anywhere from $20 to $30 million ahead of the sale.
鈥淭ry a bigger bite,鈥� auctioneer Phyllis Kao cajoled the bidders at one point during the auction, which was conducted live and online. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a T. rex, after all.鈥�
Scientists want 鈥楪us鈥� on public display
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, an advocacy group of scientists, scholars and students, said scientifically significant fossils such as 鈥淕us鈥� should be publicly displayed in museums and other research institutions so that they can be 鈥減reserved, documented, and accessible for future generations.鈥�
鈥淥ur hope is that the new owner recognizes the extraordinary scientific and educational value of Gus the T. rex and that they aim to keep it in the public trust by immediately donating it to an accredited natural history museum,鈥� Kristi Curry Rogers, the society’s president-elect, said in a statement Tuesday. 鈥淭hat outcome would ensure that this remarkable specimen continues to advance science, rather than becoming unavailable for study.鈥�
Indeed, 鈥淎pex,鈥� the stegosaurus, the previous dinosaur fossil record-holder, is currently on long-term loan to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. 鈥淪ue鈥� the T. rex, the first dinosaur ever sold at auction in 1997, also by Sotheby’s, is a centerpiece of the Field Museum in Chicago.
And 鈥淪tan鈥� is on display at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, with another fossilized T. rex over the remains of a triceratops.
A Cretaceous king and Hollywood staple
Tyrannosaurus rex, whose name roughly translates to 鈥淜ing of the Tyrant Lizards,鈥� stood firmly at the top of the food chain when it ruled during the late Cretaceous period.
With its fearsome jawline and comically stubby arms, it has become the most recognizable and beloved of the dinosaurs, depicted in everything from children鈥檚 programs like Barney, the purple T. rex, to the enduring 鈥淛urassic Park鈥� movie franchise.
The great beasts roamed what is today western North America, during a time when the region boasted 鈥渨arm climates, high sea levels, and rich coastal floodplains鈥� that allowed their primary prey, giant herbivores like the triceratops, to flourish, according to Sotheby鈥檚.
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