A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed “Gus” sold on Tuesday for US$50.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York, making it the most valuable dinosaur fossil bought at auction, after a 10-minute battle between seven bidders.
“Gus” is one of the world’s most complete T. rex skeletons – with 183 fossilised bones – and was discovered on a cattle ranch in South Dakota in 2021.
The giant beast lived some 72 to 66 million years ago – a period characterised by a warm climate, high sea levels and vast floodable coastal plains.
The skeleton measures 11.6 metres (38 feet) in body length, making it one of the largest T. rexes ever discovered. It is roughly 63 per cent complete.
Tuesday’s purchase by an anonymous buyer highlights a surging market for dinosaur bones – a trend that has drawn criticism from some palaeontologists over the specimens going into private hands.
