Categories: World

T. rex skeleton to be auctioned in Switzerland, expected to fetch millions

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for April 18

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

Interested investors may have to dig deep into their pockets to claim a giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton going up for auction on Tuesday — a first in Europe — that’s been dug up from three sites in the United States and could make the ultimate ornament for a tycoon’s abode or other eye-popping display.

The 293 T. rex bones, assembled and erected into a growling 38-foot-long and 12.8-foot-high posture, are expected to fetch $5.6 to $8.9 million when it goes under the hammer at a Zurich auction house.

Promoters say the composite T. rex — dubbed “Trinity” and drawn from three sites in the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations of Montana and Wyoming — was built from specimens retrieved between 2008 and 2013.

T. REX MAY HAVE HAD BIG SCALY LIPS, STUDY SAYS

The skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex named Trinity is seen at the Tonhalle Zurich concert hall on March 29, 2023, in Switzerland. The skeleton will go up for auction in Zurich. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP, File)

More than half of the restored fossil is “original bone material,” and Koller auction house says the skull is particularly rare and was remarkably well-preserved.

“When dinosaurs died in the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods, they often lost their heads during deposition. In fact, most dinosaurs are found without their skulls,” Nils Knoetschke, a scientific adviser who was quoted in the auction catalogue. “But here we have truly original Tyrannosaurus skull bones that all originate from the same specimen.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

T. rex roamed the Earth between 65 and 67 million years ago, and Hollywood movies — perhaps epitomized by the blockbuster “Jurassic Park” franchise — have added to the public fascination with the carnivorous creature.

The same areas were the source of two other dinosaurs skeletons that also went on the block, says Koller: “Sue” sold for $8.4 million over a quarter-century ago, and “Stan” fetched nearly $32 million three years ago.

Tuesday’s sale, part of a wider auction of artifacts, marks only the third time such a T. rex skeleton has gone up for auction, Koller says.

Share

Recent Posts

Moving exposes your personal data to scammers

Downsizing should feel like a fresh start. A smaller home, less upkeep, maybe even a…

9 hours ago

AI video tech fast-tracks humanoid robot training

One of the biggest hurdles in developing humanoid robots is the sheer amount of training…

15 hours ago

10 ways to secure your older Mac from threats and malware

Apple's Mac computers are generally considered more secure than Windows PCs, thanks to the company's…

1 day ago

Solar companies deploy sheep across farms in growing green energy trend

Forget roaring lawnmowers and fuel-guzzling tractors. Today's solar companies are turning to flocks of sheep…

2 days ago

Jury duty phone scams on the rise as fraudsters impersonate local officials, threaten arrest

Scammers are constantly finding new ways to trick people. While older tactics like phishing emails…

2 days ago

Pilots test first-of-its-kind cockpit alert system that detects possible collisions on runways

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Engineers are in the final testing phase of a cockpit alert…

3 days ago