At a Sotheby's auction in New York, the skeleton of a tyrannosaur named Gus was sold for a record $50.1 million. This is the largest sum ever paid for fossilized dinosaur remains. The buyer's name has not been disclosed.
Gus was found in 2021 on a ranch in the American state of South Dakota. Excavations lasted three years, after which specialists spent several more years restoring and assembling the skeleton. During the study, bite marks on the skull and healed rib fractures were discovered, indicating that the animal sustained these injuries during its lifetime.
According to scientists' estimates, the tyrannosaur lived approximately 72-66 million years ago. 183 bones have been preserved, accounting for approximately 63 percent of the complete skeleton. Its length is about 11.6 meters, making Gus one of the largest and most completely preserved specimens of its kind.
The previous record belonged to a Stegosaurus skeleton, which was sold in 2024 for $44.6 million.
Some paleontologists express concern that more and more valuable finds are ending up in private collections, which could limit scientists' access to study them.
Representatives of the auction house noted that the high price is due not only to the uniqueness of the find but also to the extensive work carried out during its search, excavation, scientific research, and restoration.
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