What You Need to Know
• A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, nicknamed Gus, sold for $50.1 million at a New York auction.
• The skeleton is 12.5 feet tall, 38 feet long, and consists of 183 bones.
• Sotheby’s auctioned Gus, the most valuable dinosaur ever sold at auction, after a 10-minute bidding process.
A giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, known as Gus, sold for $50.1 million at an auction held by Sotheby’s in New York on Tuesday, setting a new record for dinosaur fossils. Standing 12.5 feet tall and approximately 38 feet long, the skeleton comprises 183 bones and is among the largest and most complete T. rex specimens ever found. Sotheby’s had initially estimated the sale price to be between $20 million and $30 million, but after just ten minutes of bidding, it became the most valuable dinosaur skeleton sold at auction, with only seven bidders participating. This sale surpasses the previous record set two years ago when a stegosaurus skeleton sold for nearly $45 million.
Why It Matters
This auction highlights the increasing interest and value of dinosaur fossils in the collectibles market. The T. rex skeleton, dating back approximately 67 million years to the late Cretaceous period, was excavated in Harding County, South Dakota, a region known for its rich dinosaur fossil deposits. Since the first T. rex skeleton was discovered in 1902, only 32 have been found, making Gus a rare and significant find in paleontology. The auction reflects both the scientific importance of such fossils and their growing appeal to collectors and investors.
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