More than half 'original bone material': See the T. rex skeleton that could fetch $8 million
Whoever buys Trinity had better have a big house.
A giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton up for auction – dug up from three sites in the U.S. – could make the ultimate ornament for a tycoon’s abode or other eye-popping display.
In all, 293 bones belonging to the dinosaur dubbed Trinity, assembled and erected into a 38-foot-long and 12.8-foot-high masterpiece, are expected to fetch $5.6 million to $8.9 million when the extinct creature's skeleton goes under the hammer at an auction house in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday.
The 67 million-year-old T. rex skeleton was assembled from three specimens excavated from 2008 to 2013 in the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in Montana and Wyoming.
See photos of the resurrected creation:
Six tons of pressure
A fearsome-looking predator, the Tyrannosaurus rex has been one of the most iconic dinosaur species to ever exist, thanks in large part to its terrorizing role in the 1993 classic "Jurassic Park" and its sequels.
Named the “king of the tyrant lizards,” the apex predator was built to rule, according to National Geographic. One bite from the fierce carnivore could deliver up to 6 tons of pressure, and with 60 serrated teeth about 8 inches long, the T. rex could throw prey into the air and swallow it whole, according to the outlet.
A recent study found that over their entire late-Cretaceous-Era reign, the total number of tyrannosaurs that ever lived was roughly 2.5 billion.
The species roamed North America for a few million years, meaning their population density was small at any one specific moment. In fact, at any one time, about 20,000 tyrannosaurs would have been alive on the planet.
'Original bone material'
More than half of the restored fossil is “original bone material,” and Koller auction house says the skull is particularly rare and was remarkably well preserved.
“When dinosaurs died in the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods, they often lost their heads during deposition. In fact, most dinosaurs are found without their skulls,” Nils Knoetschke, a scientific adviser, wrote in the online auction catalogue. “But here we have truly original Tyrannosaurus skull bones that all originate from the same specimen.”
A kissable Tyrannosaurus rex? Scientists now think lips hid dinosaur's razor-sharp teeth
Third of its kind ever auctioned
The sale, part of a wider auction of artifacts, marks only the third time such a T. rex skeleton has gone up for auction, according to Koller.
The same areas where Trinity's bones were excavated are also the source of two other dinosaurs skeletons that sold at auctions, Koller said: “Sue” sold for $8.4 million over a quarter-century ago, and “Stan” fetched nearly $32 million three years ago.
More coverage from USA TODAY
5 new dinosaur discoveries: An illustrated look at some of the latest discoveries on dinosaurs
Sorry, 'Jurassic Park' fans: The T. rex couldn’t run, new research says
Dinosaur egg or precious mineral? It was thought to be a mineral for over a century. It actually may be the first known dinosaur egg
'Most Complete Gigantic Dinosaur': Video show giant being constructed for display in London museum
What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: T. rex skeleton, Trinity, auctioning at Koller in Zurich, Switzerland
