NEW YORK, 17 Sept 2020:
One of the largest-known Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex) skeletons in the world will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York next month.
The 67-million-year-old specimen, which is called Stan, was discovered in 1987 and is expected to reach up to US$8 million when it goes under the hammer on Oct 6.
It is almost 4m-tall, measures 12m from head to tail and some of its teeth are more than 20cm-long.
The artifact’s scientific name is BHI 3033 and its replicas are spread all over the planet, which have been enjoyed by thousands of dinosaur fans.
Christie’s director of science and natural history James Hyslop said in a phone interview: “It’s an incredibly exciting item to be bringing to an auction. We are humbled and honoured to have been entrusted with his stewardship.
“He is the best T-rex to come to auction since 1997, and carrying an estimate of US$6-8 million, we are anticipating that we could see a Christie’s new world record set for dinosaur at auction.”
It has been placed in a low-ceilinged room at Christie’s New York headquarters – arranged in a running position, as it would have appeared while chasing some prey while it was alive during the Cretaceous period.
The head is a replica as the original is too heavy to be supported by the structure but instead sits in an adjoining room.
It was named after its discoverer Stan Sacrison, an amateur palaeontologist who unearthed the remains in Hell Creek, South Dakota. But scientists mistook it for a triceratops and excavation did not begin until five years later.
After a year of excavation and a brief visit to Japan for an exhibition, the 188 original bones – supported by a steel structure – have been on display since 1996 at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research in South Dakota.
Hyslop estimated that a complete T-rex skeleton could comprise around 300 pieces.
There are some of the marks on the bone structure, injuries the animal probably suffered in fights during its lifespan of around 20 years.
“He was the top apex predator of his time in the late Cretaceous. He was the ultimate killing machine, the biggest and baddest dinosaur that we know.”
The cause of the creature’s death is unknown.
According to the Black Hills Institute, Stan is the second-biggest T-rex in the world by the number of bones.
Replicas have been made of parts and the entire body of this dinosaur – which scientists believe could have weighed between seven and eight tonnes, twice that of a modern-day elephant.
For those who cannot afford the auction price tag, the Black Hills Institute advertises a complete copy of the skeleton for US$100,000.
– EFE