'Estimated at $44.8 Million,' Most Complete T. rex Fossil 'Gus' to Be Auctioned at Sotheby's

Bidding Starts at a Minimum of $19 Million
Named 'Gus' After the Ranch Owner Who Discovered the Fossil

The most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered is going up for auction.

Tyrannosaurus rex Fossil 'Gus'. Courtesy of Sotheby's

On July 14, according to BBC and other outlets, a Tyrannosaurus fossil nicknamed 'Gus' is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's. This fossil is estimated to be about 67 million years old and stands approximately 3.8 meters tall.

According to Sotheby's, bidding will start at a minimum of $19 million (approximately KRW 28.45 billion), and the final sale price is expected to reach up to $30 million (about KRW 44.85 billion). Some suggest that 'Gus' could become the most expensive dinosaur fossil in the world.

The auction notice states, "Based on the overall size and degree of bone development, Gus's skeleton belonged to a very large and robust adult," and adds, "Huge teeth are revealed between the widely open jaws." Gus has been assembled in a pose that suggests it is stalking prey.

Gus was discovered on a ranch in Badlands, South Dakota, United States. The fossil excavation company 'Theropoda Expeditions' conducted the dig over three years starting in 2021, with permission from the landowner, Gary 'Gus' Lic King. The fossil was named after the ranch owner, who discovered it, but he passed away during the excavation process and was unable to see Gus fully assembled.

Sotheby's stated, "The ranch owner spent years walking across his 6,500-acre property, finding Tyrannosaurus teeth and small fossil fragments, and suspected something truly significant was buried beneath the ground."

Sotheby's explains that Gus is considered one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus specimens ever found. Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's Head of Natural History, argued that Gus's value reflects how significant a specimen it is.

Hatton said, "Gus is one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered, with 61% of its bones verified. Typically, even if only half a skeleton is found, it is considered an extremely important scientific discovery." By studying Gus's bones, it is possible to infer how the animal might have lived. She added, "There is a large bite mark on the top of the skull, possibly from a fight, and there are signs of broken bones, as well as large lumps where several ribs broke and then healed."

Meanwhile, the first auction for a dinosaur fossil took place at Sotheby's in 1997. A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil named 'Sue' was purchased jointly by major corporations and is now housed at Chicago's Field Museum, having sold for $8.4 million at the time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.