76 million-year-old dinosaur skeleton to be auctioned in NYC

A 76 million-year-old fossilized dinosaur skeleton, the only specimen of its kind available for private ownership, will be auctioned off this month in New York City. 

The skeleton of a T. rex relative that roamed the earth about 76 million years ago was an apex carnivore that lived in what is now the western United States and Canada during the late Cretaceous Period. It predated its relative the Tyrannosaurus rex by 10 million years. 

The dinosaur skeleton will highlight Sotheby's natural history auction on July 28.  

The specimen being sold was discovered in 2018 in the Judith River Formation near Havre, Montana, Sotheby's said. 

The discovery was “exceptional” because of the rarity of Gorgosaurus material found in the United States.  

It measures nearly 10 feet tall and 22 feet long.

All of the other known Gorgosaurus skeletons are in museum collections, making this one the only specimen available for private ownership. 

"In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like this unbelievable Gorgosaurus skeleton," Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture, said.

Sotheby's' presale estimate for the fossil is $5 million ($8.1m) to $8 million ($12m). 

The area of excavation provided for a “remarkably pristine” skeletal condition because of the slowly deposited sediments of the river.  

The Gorgosaurus will go on public display for the first time on July 21 at Sotheby's York Avenue galleries in New York. 

Moreover, the distinctive features of the Gorgosaurus include its large head, dozens of curved, serrated teeth, and small two-fingered front limbs. 

A typical adult male could weigh up to 2 tons, according to Sotheby's.