Fossil Hunter Lists Baby T-Rex Skeleton On eBay For $3 Million

Tyrannosaurus Rex, T-Rex, Skeleton, Skull, Fossil
Photo credit (Photo by Getty Images)

About six years ago, archeologist Alan Detrich discovered an incredibly rare skeleton of a baby Tyrannosaurus rex.

 In 2017, he donated it to the University of Kansas Natural History Museum.  Now, he’s looking to get rid of it.

For reasons unbeknownst to anyone, Detrich listed the fossil for sale on eBay for the cool, cool price of $3 million.  

Detrich described the fossil on the listing page as “one-of-a-kind.”  He wrote:

This Rex was very a very dangerous meat eater. It’s a RARE opportunity indeed to ever see a baby REX, if they did not grow quickly they could not catch prey and would die. Histology shows the specimen to be approximately 4 years old upon death.  Many of the bones are waiting to be identified, but every day more and more are being tagged.

Detrich has also received criticism from his contemporaries on his decision to list the fossil for sale. The Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology, which advocates for the preservation of vertebrate fossils, wrote in an open letter:

The [SVP> is concerned because the fossil, which represents a unique part of life’s past, may be lost from the public trust and because its owner used the specimen’s scientific importance, including its exhibition status at KU, as part of his advertising strategy,” the organization wrote. “These events undermine the scientific process for studying past life as well as the prospect for future generations to share the natural heritage of our planet.

According to the listing, worldwide expedited shipping of the baby T-Rex would cost an additional $65,555.

Via NY Post