Near-complete T. rex skull up for auction

“Maximus”, one of the best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skulls ever found and around 75% complete, is expected to fetch $15-20m at auction in New York


MAXIMUS

Age: c67m years
Length: 1.4m
Weight 73kg

Two large punctures on lower jaw believed caused by parasite

Other perforations may be bite marks or caused by disease


Hell Creek, South Dakota: Maximus excavated in 2020-21 in area rich in fossils from late Cretaceous period – Sue and Stan also found here


Oct 2020: Stan sells for record $31.85m to Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi

Oct 1997: Sue – best preserved T. rex ever found, 90% complete – sells for $8.36m to Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago


Source: Sotheby’s
Pictures: Sotheby’s, Getty Images
© GRAPHIC NEWS