28 jul 2022 om 20:44 | Update: 8 minuten geleden
The skeleton of a Gorgosaurus, related to the Tyrannosaurus rex, was auctioned on Thursday for 6.1 million dollars (6 million euros). The buyer, whose name has not been mentioned, managed to obtain the skeleton for his private collection. Scientists are concerned about the latter.
By: Lennart ‘t HartThe auction of the Gorgosaurus skeleton took place at the famous Sotheby’s auction house in New York. It is the first time that a copy has come into someone’s private possession. All other skeletons of the dinosaur species have been found in museums. The highest bidder may also give the skeleton a nickname.
Scientists are concerned about the commercialization of fossils. If more dinosaur skeletons end up in private collections, it’s bad for science, the researchers argue. That way they can’t research it.
In addition, large dinosaur skeletons, such as that of the Gorgosaurus, are scarce. It is estimated that there are about 50 Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) fossils in the world, ranging from an entire skeleton to a single tooth. Remains of Gorgosaurs are even rarer.
Skeleton T. rex previously brought in $ 32 million
The Gorgosaurus lived in the late Cretaceous, 10 million years earlier than the T. rex. The Gorgosaurus was smaller, but probably also faster than its feared successor.
In recent years, large dinosaur skeletons have fallen into the hands of private individuals more often. A T. rex nicknamed Stan went under the hammer in October 2020 for nearly $32 million. The remains of a Deinonychus antirrhopus, the dinosaur that modeled for the movie’s bloodthirsty velociraptors Jurassic Parkraised $12.4 million.
There is little that can be done against the private auctions of dinosaur remains. Fossils found on private land in the United States may be sold for profit. The auctions are therefore legal.