A complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton is to be auctioned in Zurich, Switzerland.
According to the Swiss Koller Auktionen, this is the first time that such a skeleton has been sold at auction in Europe. The auction house is reporting this on its own websites.
That’s why the T-rex had such small arms
TRX-293 Trinity
Worldwide, it’s only happened twice before: when Sue sold at auction for $8.4 million in 1997, and Stan for $31 million in 2020.
The skeleton is called TRX-293 Trinity and is believed to be about 67 million years old.
It is 11.6 meters long and 3.9 meters high and, according to the auction house, is one of the most impressive skeletons of its kind.
What’s special about Trinity is that the skull, which is so well preserved, comes from only a Tyrannosaurus rex.
Rare item
It’s a scarce commodity, says Nils Knoschek, scientific advisor and one of the world’s foremost fossil restorers.
This amazes the researchers
Dinosaur skulls are generally very rare, and they are among the most valuable components of the skeleton. Most dinosaurs are found without a skull, but in this case we have the original skull from one specimen, he says.
The Trinity is made up of more than 50 percent of the original bone material derived from three dinosaurs. Fossils were excavated from Hell Creek and Lance Creek in Montana and Wyoming between 2008 and 2013.
The auction will be held in Zurich on April 18th this year. Experts assume that the sample is worth between NOK 58 million and NOK 92 million. Write Leicestershire Live.