77-Million-Year-Old Skeleton of a Gorgosaurus to Be Auctioned for the First Time

For the first time, a fossilized skeleton of a Gorgosaurus will be put up for auction later this month.

According to theAssociated Press, the event will be the first time a Gorgosaurus specimen has ever been placed for private auction. All other skeletons of the dinosaur are in museum collections, the outlet said.

“This discovery was particularly exceptional due to the rarity of Gorgosaurus material south of the Canadian border, this being one of only few found in the United States,” the post explained.

Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo

“Translated to ‘fierce’ or ‘terrifying’ lizard, the Gorgosaurus was a fearsome apex carnivore that reigned during the Late Cretaceous period, roaming the earth approximately 77 million years ago,” the auction house said on Instagram.

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“This specimen, which was a very large, mature individual at the time of death, has a particularly well-preserved skull, including a left maxilla and an assortment of cranial bones,” they explained to the outlet. “Crucially the specimen also contains the three major bones which create the orbit, the feature which distinguishes the Gorgosaurus from the T. rex.”

The auction house expects the skeleton to fetch between $5 million to $8 million.

source: people.com