Gus Tyrannosaurus
A dinosaur skeleton named Gus Tyrannosaurus has been auctioned in New York, USA, for about $50.1 million. This skeleton, which is about 67 million years old, has now become the world’s most expensive dinosaur skeleton.
Previously, a fossil named Apex Tyrannosaurus fossil was sold for $28.3 million in 2024 and named of Stan Tyrannosaurus was sold for $3.18 in 2020. Gus Tyrannosaurus broke both of those records. Another reason why this auction is special is that Gus Tyrannosaurus is the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus skeleton ever found.
It is 38 feet long. Its enormous size and state of preservation are considered very important to scientists. After this competitive bidding that lasted about 10 minutes, an anonymous buyer made it his. Gus Tyrannosaurus is no ordinary dinosaur skeleton. It is 12.5 feet tall. According to the auction house Sotheby’s, this fossil is about 63% complete.
The remaining bones represent 75 to 80 percent of the dinosaur’s total body weight. Its head has been found in very good condition. The facial teeth are also strong and well-preserved. Both hind leg bones, as well as the extremely rare wishbone, have also been found in good condition. For this reason, this fossil is considered very valuable for scientific research.
It is believed that many new facts about the lifestyle, development and behavior of Gus Tyrannosaurus can be discovered from its body structure. This huge skeleton was found in the US state of South Dakota in 2021. A fossil search team found the leg bone of Gus Tyrannosaurus within a few hours of normal excavation. It was then confirmed that this was a major discovery.
Then, the work of preserving and fully assembling the fossil excavation took about five years. During this process, about 1000 separate bone fragments were extracted. All of them were very carefully joined by hand. A special metal frame was also prepared to safely display the fossil. It was so large that it was placed in a place equal to a Pickleball Coach. It was named in honor of Gary Licking, the owner of the land where the dinosaur skeleton was found.
Unfortunately, he did not get to see the fossil fully formed with his own eyes. He had already passed away. His wife was involved in the project from the beginning. The excavation team kept him informed of every important discovery. Before the auction, the fossil was estimated to sell for 1.1 million to 2.8 million, but the final price surprised everyone.
Sotheby’s vice president David Galperin said that it was not only a rare find, but also a very well-excavated and preserved fossil. Although Gus Tyrannosaurus set a world record in terms of price, many scientists and researchers are not happy with the auction. They say that such fossils should be kept in public museums, not in private collections, so that scientists around the world can conduct long-term research.
Experts have also urged that the skeleton be placed in a public institution. According to David Galperin, vice president of the organization, any significant skeletal discovery is only the beginning of its scientific story. According to him, such skeletons can be the basis for new research for years. But if the Gus Tyrannosaurus skeleton ends up in a private collection, there are concerns that access to scientists would be limited and future research could be affected.
Whether this historic skeleton of Gus Tyrannosaurus, known for its large jaws and small front teeth, will now become a public museum attraction or will be limited to the private collection of a wealthy person remains to be seen.