T. rex skull found in South Dakota could fetch at least $15M at auction
T. Rex skull is 76 million years old
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The skull of a Tyrannosaurus rex is expected to fetch at least $15 million at auction in New York next month.
Sotheby's said on Tuesday that the skull is one of the best and most complete ever discovered.
The skull will be offered without reserve in a single lot, live sale on Dec. 9.
Nicknamed Maximus, honoring its reputation as a hunter and fighter, the 76-million-year-old skull stands at just over 6'7" and weighs more than 200 pounds.
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Maximus was discovered and excavated on private land in the Hell Creek Formation in Harding County, South Dakota.
Cassandra Hatton, senior vice president, global head of department, Science & Popular Culture at Sotheby's, touches the tooth of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull excavated from Harding County, South Dakota, in 2020-2021, in New York City on Friday, Nov. … ((AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) / AP Newsroom)
The geological formation is world-renowned for yielding more T. rex material than any other location in the world.
For example, Sue —the first dinosaur ever sold at auction — and Stan were also found there.
The site is also known for the excavation of other popular Cretaceous period dinosaurs.
A Tyrannosaurus rex skull excavated from Harding County, South Dakota, in 2020-2021, is on display at Sotheby's in New York City on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. ((AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) / AP Newsroom)
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In Maximus' dig site, most of the skeleton was destroyed by erosion.
However, all the tooth-bearing jaw elements in the T. rex skull are preserved, as are most of the external bones on the left and right sides of the skull.
Comparisons have determined the skull to be an adult individual.
Cassandra Hatton, senior vice president, global head of department, Science & Popular Culture at Sotheby's, points at two large puncture holes likely from a fight with another dinosaur, on a Tyrannosaurus rex skull excavated from Harding County, … ((AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) / AP Newsroom)
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's head of science and popular culture, told The Associated Press that two large puncture holes in Maximus are evidence of a big fight, likely with another T. rex.
"We don’t know that this is what caused the death of this animal, but we can tell that it did have a major battle during its lifetime," she said.
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Accompanying the skull is full documentation, including osteograph, bone inventory, field photographs and preparation notes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.