Treating rare dinosaur fossils as luxury collectibles leaves them “lost to science,” experts have warned
A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton sold for a record of over $50 million at a Sotheby’s auction to an anonymous buyer on Tuesday, prompting scientists to warn that treating rare dinosaur fossils as luxury collectibles is harming research and public education.
The 67-million-year-old specimen is one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever discovered, according to Sotheby’s. Unearthed in South Dakota, it comprises 183 fossil bones, representing about 61% of the original skeleton. The auction house highlighted its exceptionally well-preserved skull and evidence of healed combat injuries.
After a 10-minute bidding war involving seven bidders, the skeleton sold for a record $50.1 million to an anonymous telephone bidder, far exceeding Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of $20-$30 million.
Scientists have warned that record-breaking auctions are increasingly putting scientifically valuable specimens beyond the reach of researchers.
“The current trend towards dinosaur fossils being marketed and sold like rare artworks at vast prices by auction houses is very concerning,” Richard Butler, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Birmingham, told The Guardian. While fossils have long been bought and sold, prices are now “increasingly out of the reach of museums,” he added.
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