The 76-million-year-old skull, nicknamed Maximus, is being sold by an anonymous seller in a live auction on December 9. The skull, which weighs 91 kilograms (200 pounds) and is about two meters in size, is said to be one of the most complete specimens ever found and rivals those held in museum collections. Excavated in 2020 and 2021 in Harding County, South Dakota, T rex skeletons named Sue and Stan were found. The area has been called “the T rexes capital of the world”. Sue, the first dinosaur sold at auction, fetched $8.3 million in 1997. Stan, the fifth most complete T rex skeleton ever discovered, sold for $31.8 million in 2020. went to a mystery buyer later identified as the Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum, where it is due to go on display in 2025. Most of Maximus’ remains were destroyed by erosion. “But this T rex fossil is an extraordinary find,” said Henry Galiano, consultant paleontologist for the auction house. “Discovered in one of the most concentrated areas for T rex remains, the skull retains much of its original shape and surface features with even the smallest and most delicate bones intact, with an extremely high degree of scientific integrity. Without the work of expert paleontologists, who carefully collected and preserved this skull, it might have eroded and been lost to science forever.” Subscribe to The Guardian Headlines US For US readers, we offer a regional version of our daily email, delivering the most important headlines each morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Cassandra Hatton, head of science and popular culture at Sotheby’s, said two large holes in the skull were evidence that the animal had been in a fight, possibly with another T rex. “We don’t know what caused the death of this animal, but we can tell it had a big fight in its life,” he said.
