Sotheby’s said that the first skeleton of a dinosaur was up for auction and sold for $6.1 million in New York on Thursday.
The specimen is 10 feet (3 meters) tall and 22 feet (7 meters) long and was expected to fetch between $5 million and $8 million.
Gorgosaurus roamed the earth 77 million years ago.
“The result places Gorgosaurus among the most valuable dinosaurs ever sold at auction and sets a new benchmark for a Gorgosaurus skeleton,” Sotheby’s said.
As we mentioned on America Post News, the Gorgosaurus roamed the earth approximately 77 million years ago.
A typical adult weighed around 2 tons, slightly smaller than its more famous relative, Tyrannosaurus rex.
A newly discovered skeleton of a Gorgosaurus dinosaur is displayed before Sotheby’s auction in New York City, U.S., on July 5, 2022.Paleontologists say it was fiercer and faster than the T-Rex, with a stronger bite of around 42,000 newtons compared to 35,000.
The skeleton was discovered in the Judith River Formation near Havre in the US state of Montana in 2018.
It may interest you: A dinosaur skeleton from 76 million years ago will be auctioned.
The United States does not restrict the sale or export of fossils.
The United States does not restrict the sale or export of fossils.The sale marked the first time Sotheby’s has auctioned off a complete dinosaur skeleton since it sold Sue the T-Rex in 1997 for $8.36 million.
“Today’s Gorgosaurus came up for auction without a name, giving the buyer the exclusive opportunity to name the dinosaur,” Sotheby’s said.
Sotheby’s did not disclose the buyer. Unlike other countries, the United States does not restrict the sale or export of fossils, which means the skeleton could end up abroad.