Follow
On Monday, a mysterious, 150-million-year old, almost intact dinosaur skeleton went to auction in Paris. It eventually sold for over $2 million to an unnamed buyer. However, it’s interesting that if certain paleontologists are right, the winning bidder may get the unique chance to name a previously undiscovered dinosaur species. The remains of this ancient predator were discovered back in 2013 in the Wyoming area, at the Morrison Formation Site. It measures 30 feet in length and 9 feet in height, making it a true beast of the ancient times.
According to paleontologist Eric Mickeler who observed the remains, the skeleton is about 70% complete, which means that it’s almost intact. To have such a high amount of fossilized bones in such great condition is truly remarkable. Mickeler, the valuation expert for the French auction house Aguttes, said that experts have never documented this particular dinosaur species before. At first, experts thought that it had belonged to an allosaurus. However, upon further examination, they realized that they had it wrong. This dinosaur had more teeth and different bones.
The mystery dinosaur skeleton that sold for $2 million
SOLD 2 019 680 € (incl. tax) !!!
ADJUGÉ 2 019 680 € ttc @CAguttes !!! @LaTourEiffel #auctionupdate #auctionresult #aguttes #paleo #paleontology #dinoaguttes #instadino #jurassic #theropod #allosaurus pic.twitter.com/0QvNjC3ush— Aguttes (@Aguttes_) June 4, 2018
No matter what species the dinosaur turns out to be, it certainly lived a long life. This was a carnivorous beast that died of old age most certainly. However, according to Mickeler, experts need to conduct more research to confirm that the skeleton truly belongs to an unknown species.
What’s even more interesting is that the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Bethesda, Maryland wrote a letter to Aguttes seeking the cancellation of Monday’s action. Their worries had to do with valuable dinosaur remains falling into private hands and possibly being lost. Mickeler admitted that he hopes the new owner will put it on display in a museum somewhere. It would truly be a shame to lose it forever before even documenting it.
Image source: maxpixel
