T. rex fossil could become most expensive dinosaur ever sold
Cassandra Hatton argues that Gus’s price is a reflection of what an exemplary example he is.
“Gus is one of the largest and most complete T. rex ever found; 61% of the bones have been identified; overall you find half the skeleton, which is a major scientific finding,” he says.
The condition of the bones also gives a deep insight into what kind of lifestyle this creature might have had.
“There is a large bite mark on the top of the skull, this may have been caused during a battle. Your bones are broken, you have some ribs, you see huge lumps where they were broken and it is healing.”
Cassandra Hatton says she has been contacting museums around the world for months to participate in the auction. He wants “something scientifically important to gain public trust.”
But he said the price should reflect the time, skill, expense and risks involved in saving the dinosaurs. “According to many diggers, some of these people are making ends meet. They are not rich people.
“They have to invest their own money. It’s not the billionaires who are digging them up.”
But the people who buy them are billionaires.
Stegosaurus Apex was auctioned to Kenneth Griffin, founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel. Griffin has since loaned Apex to the American Museum of Natural History for four years.
Dr. collects and sells fossils professionally. Smithwick explains that museums have long relied on wealthy individuals bequeathing, loaning, or donating works to build their science and art collections.
But unlike works of art, there is a major obstacle to relying on the philanthropy of private owners when it comes to studying fossils.
Most respected scientific journals will not accept any work done on a specimen in a private collection. It’s like it doesn’t exist in the scientific world.
The claim here is that scientists should be able to revisit the fossil over many years, agreeing or disagreeing, and checking their findings as other examples emerge.
“What’s happening [if] That person gets bored of them, dies, gets divorced. There are many cases where specimens are in private collections, and they have a scientific explanation. [that has] He jumped away,” says NHM’s Prof Maidment.
“So actually it’s not science anymore.”
