
Sotheby’s plans to auction “Gus,” a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, in July with an estimated value between $20 million and $30 million. The specimen is among the largest and most complete T. rex finds, with 183 preserved bone elements and about 63% overall completeness. Its skull measures 53 inches and retains roughly 82% of its original bone structure. Paleontologists recovered exceptionally preserved feet, a reconstructed pelvis, and a rare furcula, or wishbone. The dinosaur stands about 12.5 feet tall, with a femur longer than 50 inches, offering a detailed view of a major apex predator from the Late Cretaceous in western North America.
"Sotheby's will auction 'Gus,' a colossal 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, in July with an estimated value between $20m to $30m. Tyrannosaurus rex has long captured the public imagination as one of history's most fearsome apex predators. Roaming western North America during the Late Cretaceous period, the species possessed an enormous skull, a devastating bite force, and an acute sense of smell. Decades after their extinction, T. rex dinosaurs continue to dominate popular culture through films, television, and museum exhibitions worldwide."
"Far from an ordinary T. rex, 'Gus' ranks among the largest and most complete specimens ever discovered. The fossil consists of 183 preserved bone elements, making it approximately 63 percent complete overall. Its immense skull alone measures 53 inches and retains around 82 percent of its original bone structure. Paleontologists also recovered exceptionally preserved ft, a reconstructed pelvis, and the rare furcula, or wishbone. Standing roughly 12 and a half ft tall, with a femur stretching more than 50 inches, it offers an extraordinary glimpse into one of prehistory's most formidable predators."
""Gus is the culmination of years of rigorous excavation and preparation under some of the most challenging field conditions imaginable, and years of exacting study, documentation, and research," said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's vice chairman and worldwide head of science and natural history. "Tyrannosaurus rex is the most iconic pre-historic species in the fossil record, and Gus stands firmly among the greatest examples ever found.""
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