If you have ever dreamed of owning the skull of a dinosaur, all you needed was the opportunity and the money. Well, now all you need is $20 million, as “one of the best and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skulls ever discovered” is expected to auction off for that amount next month.
The skull, weighing over 200 pounds and standing 6 feet and 7.5 inches tall, has been named Maximus and is known as one of the most complete ever found, according to Sotheby's.
The auction house shared in a press release on Tuesday that the skull represents a "rare and important paleontological discovery."
Sotheby's has described the fossil as “extremely rare,” and it could soon become the most valuable ever sold at an auction when it goes up for sale in New York.
Cassandra Hatton, the global head of science and popular culture for the auction house, shared with CNN that the sale was an "unprecedented moment."
First discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, the skull belonged to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex, giving a glimpse into the size of the creatures. While all of Maximus’ tooth-bearing jaw elements were preserved, and most of its external bones, the rest of the skeleton was destroyed, according to the press release.
Sotheby's natural history consultant, Henry Galiano, shared in a statement that the discovery was “extraordinary.”
"Unearthed in one of the most concentrated areas for T. rex remains, the skull retained much of its original shape and surface characteristics with even the smallest and most delicate bones intact, with an extremely high degree of scientific integrity,” Galiano said.
Related
But, the condition of the skull isn't all luck, as Galiano also shared that the “experienced field paleontologists” played a major part in preserving it so that it wasn’t “lost to science forever.”
Not everyone is on board with the auction, as controversy does surround it, just like it did when the skull of a T. rex nicknamed Sue sold in 1997 for $8.36 million.
Even still, the auction is set to take place in less than a month, on Dec. 8, meaning those interested should start to save as soon as possible.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram