TRENDING SCIENCE: Anyone want to buy a dinosaur? A Tyrannosaurus rex is up for sale
One of the most complete, largest and well-known Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) skeletons in the world will be auctioned off in New York City on 6 October. For about a cool EUR 6 million, a 67-million-year-old male T. rex affectionately referred to as STAN can adorn your home.
T. rex hits the block looking for new home
“We are honoured to be bringing STAN to auction and to have been entrusted with the stewardship of such and [sic] iconic and important T. rex,” head of Christie’s Science & Natural History department James Hyslop commented in a press release. “I’ll never forget the moment I came face to face with him for the first time, after his remount in Colorado – he looked even larger and more ferocious than I’d imagined, a specimen that only further establishes the T. rex’s position as the King of Dinosaurs.” In 1987, an amateur palaeontologist first discovered its bones in South Dakota in the United States. It took 30 000 hours of labour to excavate the fossil and piece it back together. Researchers were able to recover 188 bones out of an estimated 300 in total. STAN is 3.9 m tall, nearly 12 m long and weighed 7-8 t. His longest tooth is nearly 28 cm. Research shows that it died around the age of 20 and survived a broken neck. Apparently, it’s one of the most duplicated T. rex skeletons in history. There are about 60 casts on display worldwide. STAN will be displayed at Christie’s and visible 24 hours a day until 21 October through the floor-to-ceiling windows at Christie’s Rockefeller Center. The leading auctioneer plans to book viewings for the public that take into consideration the COVID-19 reality. “This special viewing opportunity will offer enthusiasts and pedestrians alike the chance to see and learn about one of the world’s most iconic dinosaurs in a socially distanced setting,” Hyslop told ‘CNN’.
Have millions to spare for dinosaur bones?
You can join collectors like Leonardo DiCaprio who have shown interest in and reportedly bought prehistoric bones as part of a new trend. Perhaps it’s best for everyone that STAN finds a new home at a museum or private institution, and put on public display for all to see. Do we really want the world’s most ferociously strong and symbolic dinosaur to end up in some anonymous millionaire’s collection and never be seen again?
Keywords
Tyrannosaurus rex, T. rex, Christie’s, dinosaur, auction