A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as “Gus” sold for $50.1 million (roughly €44 million) at Sotheby’s in New York on Tuesday, setting a new record for a dinosaur fossil at auction. The sale followed a tense 10-minute bidding battle involving seven bidders and ended with an anonymous purchaser.
Before Tuesday’s sale, the record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil was held by Apex, a Stegosaurus skeleton that sold for $44.6 million at Sotheby’s in 2024.
Fossil ‘Gus’ one of the largest and most complete ever unearthed
It was discovered in 2021 on a South Dakota cattle ranch, owned by the late Gary “Gus” Licking, for whom the fossil was named,
“Gus is one of the biggest and most complete T. rex ever found,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s vice chairman and global head of science and natural history, said ahead of the auction.
The skeleton measures 38 feet (11,6 meters) in length and dates to the Late Cretaceous period, about 67 million years ago.
Hatton said Gus stood out because of “the completeness, the quality, the size, the preservation,” as well as the careful work required to excavate and prepare the fossil.
The record highlights a growing market for dinosaur fossils, though some scientists warn against specimens being held in private collections.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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