Status: 04/18/2023 8:43 p.m
The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was auctioned in Zurich for almost 5.6 million euros. The buyer remains anonymous – but has been assured that the estimated 65 million year old dinosaur bones will remain in Europe.
The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) was auctioned off in Zurich. The successful bidder paid 5.5 million francs (5.6 million euros) for the dinosaur, as announced by the spokesman for the auction house Koller. The proceeds fell slightly short of the auction house’s expectations, which had expected up to seven million Swiss francs.
The sum includes the commission for the auction house, whose spokesman assured: “The skeleton will remain in Europe”, without giving any further information about the buyer.
A three animal skeleton puzzle
It is said to be only the third T-Rex skeleton ever to be auctioned, the first in Europe. The skeleton was the highlight of the auction, which comprised around 70 pieces.
The anonymous private auctioneer dubbed the skeleton “Trinity” because it was assembled from bones from three different animals discovered between 2008 and 2013 in the US states of Montana and Wyoming.
Only around 50 percent of the bones are original material. According to the auction house, this is a good quota. The skeleton measures 11.6 by 3.9 meters.
“Stan” even brought in 28.3 million euros
In 2020, the Arab Emirate of Abu Dhabi bought the T-Rex skeleton “Stan” for $31 million, around €28.3 million. However, this consisted of 70 percent original bones from a single animal. It is to be exhibited in a museum in Abu Dhabi in a few years.
T-Rex dinosaurs lived in what is now the United States more than 65 million years ago. They were long thought to be the largest predators to ever walk the earth. In the meantime, the remains of even larger dinosaurs have been found, but this did not detract from the reputation of the T-Rex.