Killer dinosaur fossils auction for 12.4 million dollars

According to auction house Christie’s, the skeleton, nicknamed Hector, was unearthed in the northwestern state of Montana about a decade ago, belonging to the predatory dinosaur Deinonychus antirrhopus, the famous creature that once appeared. in the Hollywood blockbuster “Jurassic Park” released in 1993.

It is one of the most complete dinosaur fossils in the world and the largest specimen of Deinonychus. It is more than 3 meters long and 1.22 meters high, and includes 126 pieces of real bones and some reconstructed parts, including most of the skull.

Deinonychus antirrhopus is the only representative species of the theropod Deinonychus that lived during the early Cretaceous period 108 – 115 million years ago. They were the apex predators at the time, using their speed, strength, and massive claws to take down their prey.

The Hector specimen, estimated to be 110 million years old, has attracted the attention of fossil collectors worldwide and sparked a fierce auction on May 12. The final winner – whose name was not disclosed – had to spend up to $12.4 million, more than double the auction house’s expectations, to own this rare specimen.

In 2020, also in a Christie’s auction, the T-rex skeleton is 12 meters long and 4 meters high, nicknamed “”Stan“, which grossed a record $31.8 million. Another large fossil, named Big Johnbelonging to the three-horned dinosaur Triceratops horridus also fetched an unexpected $7.7 million in the Drouot’s October 2021 auction.

The trend of selling dinosaur fossils at high prices in recent years is facing mixed opinions. Opponents fear the rare specimens could be lost if purchased by private individuals rather than public institutions, while commercial paleontologists say they need the money to continue their work.

Doan Duong (According to Mail/New York Times)