Sotheby’s auction house in New York is reporting that a Tyrannosaurus rex skull is likely to sell for up to $20 million at auction next month, according to CNN.
The skull weighs more than 200 pounds and is over 6 feet tall. Named Maximus, the skull is one of the most complete specimens ever found. Sotheby’s said in a press release it represents a “rare and important paleontological discovery.”
Maximus was discovered on private land in South Dakota, in the Hell Creek Formation, which is well-known for fossil discoveries. Nearly all the skull’s jaws and teeth have been preserved.
Fossilized dinosaur bones began being sold at private auctions about 25 years ago, when the first T. Rex was sold for more than $8 million. This summer, the skeleton of a Gorgosaurus — a T. Rex relative — was estimated to fetch up to $8 million at a Sotheby’s natural history auction.
