The fossilised skeleton of a relative of the T. rex that roamed the earth about 76 million years ago will be auctioned in New York this month, Sotheby’s has announced.
The Gorgosaurus skeleton will be a highlight of Sotheby’s natural history auction on July 28.
The creature was an apex carnivore that lived in what is now the western United States and Canada during the late Cretaceous Period.
The theropod predated its relative the Tyrannosaurus rex by 10 million years.
The specimen being sold was discovered in 2018 in the Judith River Formation near Havre, Montana, Sotheby’s said.
It measures nearly 10ft tall and 22ft long.
All of the other known Gorgosaurus skeletons are in museum collections, making this one the only specimen available for private ownership, the auction house said.
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture, said: “In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like this unbelievable Gorgosaurus skeleton.”
Sotheby’s presale estimate for the fossil is between five million and eight million US dollars (£4.1 million and £6.6 million).
