Tyrannosaurus Rex once ruled power in the western regions of North America. But now the fossil of this powerful dinosaur will be auctioned off in Asia. Experts at Christie’s auction in Hong Kong believe that a T-Rex skeleton will sell for $25 million.
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This species with a weight of 1400 kg is currently called shan. But those who buy the skeleton also have a private label right. The T-Rex skeleton was found in the Hill Creek Formation in Montana, known for its fossil from the Late Cretaceous (a period that ended about 66 million years ago).
The sand structure is 12.2 meters long, 4.6 meters high, and 2.1 meters wide. The T-Rex dinosaur will go on sale from November 9th. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen dinosaur skeletons at auction. In 2020, a T-Rex skeleton called Stan sold for $31.8 million, setting the record for the world’s most expensive dinosaur fossil.
James Hislop, Chair of Science and Natural History at Christie’s. After Stan’s incredible auction at Christie’s New York, he said he’s so happy and excited to be able to auction another T-Rex skeleton.
Of course, Shane was not expected to break Stan’s record. But it’s definitely more money than another complete T-Rex dinosaur fossil, Sue, which sold for $8.36 million ($15.4 million at today’s inflation rate) in 1997. At the time, Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History was able to add to this amazing predator. to his group with the help of individual supporters.
While Christie’s auctioneers are pleased with the development, paleontologists are not in a good mood. Thomas Carr, a paleontologist and associate professor of biology at Carthage College, describes the sale of the T. rex skeleton as a sad event for the world of science. Of course, it is not yet clear how complete this fossil is, but in any case, its sale can be considered a blow to science.
Also, although Hyslop-Sand cites one of the most studied T-rex skeletons, Carr, an expert on the species, insisted he was unaware of its existence. However, each T. rex fossil is valuable for a better understanding of the evolution and biology of these rare dinosaurs.
Carr fears that if the T-Rex skeleton is sold to a private collector rather than a museum, the paleontological community will not be able to examine and study it. The Field Museum was able to buy a dinosaur fossil at auction 25 years ago, when the growing popularity of dinosaur fossils among the affluent made it difficult for government agencies to compete.
In fact, museums can no longer afford to pay millions of dollars to buy dinosaur fossils, which opens the door to the rich who are not majoring in paleontology. Normally, dinosaur fossils belong to a museum, not an auction!
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