A Tyrannosaurus rex skull is expected to fetch up to $20 million at auction next month, according to Sotheby's.
Last month marked 25 years since a T. rex nicknamed Sue became the first dinosaur ever to be auctioned, which sold the fossil for $8.36 million. Described by Hutton as "the largest and most complete T. rex ever discovered," Sue was also found at the Hell Creek Formation, which has yielded more T. rex remains than any other location in the world, according to Sotheby's.
The 1997 sale was met with controversy, however, with some experts concerned that specimens in private collections would become unavailable for scientific study. Paleontologists have also argued that the growth of the collectors' market makes it harder for them to carry out excavation work on private land.
"In many areas where dinosaur fossils are found, it is becoming more difficult for professional paleontologists to obtain permission to collect fossils on private property because of the commercial value of fossils," wrote paleontologist John W. Hoganson in a 1998 edition of the North Dakota Geological Survey's newsletter.
It is a debate that has surrounded large fossil auctions ever since. Earlier this year, Sotheby's sold the skeleton of a Gorgosaurus, a relative of the T. rex, for just over $6 million, prompting fresh concerns among experts. It was the only fossil of its kind ever to be offered for private ownership, with the other known specimens all housed in museum collections.
"In my own opinion, there are only cons," P. David Polly, a professor and chair of the department of earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, told CNN at the time of the Gorgosaurus sale.
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T. rex skull nicknamed Maximus could fetch $20M at auction, Sotheby's saysThe skull belonged to an adult dinosaur, and all its 'tooth-bearing jaw elements' have been preserved along with most of its external bones.
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Maximus, 'one of the best' T. rex skulls on record, could fetch $20 million at auctionNicoletta Lanese is a staff writer for Live Science covering health and medicine, along with an assortment of biology, animal, environment and climate stories. She holds degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in The Scientist Magazine, Science News, The San Jose Mercury News and Mongabay, among other outlets.
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T rex skull nicknamed Maximus to be auctioned in New York City'When you think about it, more people can fit a skull in their home than people who could fit a full dinosaur,' said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's head of science and popular culture.
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T Rex Skull Unearthed In South Dakota Could Sell For $15M Next MonthThe 200-pound (91-kilogram) skull fossil, nicknamed Maximus, is being sold Dec. 9 by an owner who wishes to remain anonymous, according to Sotheby's.
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T. rex skull unearthed in South Dakota to be auctioned in New York next monthA Tyrannosaurus rex skull unearthed in South Dakota is expected to sell for $15 million or more at auction in New York next month, officials with Sotheby's said Tuesday.
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T. rex skull could sell for $20 million at auctionA Tyrannosaurus rex skull is expected to fetch up to $20 million at auction next month, according to Sotheby's
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