The auction of a composite Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton has made headlines after it sold for $5.3 million at an auction in Switzerland. The 293 T. rex bones were retrieved from three sites in the United States and assembled into a growling posture that measures 38 feet long and 12.8 feet high. The composite skeleton was named Trinity, and it was a showpiece of an auction that featured around 70 lots.
Trinity was the first T. rex skeleton to go up for auction in Europe, and the auction house, Koller, expected it to fetch between 5 and 8 million Swiss francs ($5.6-$8.9 million). Although it sold for slightly below the anticipated price, it still set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur at auction in Europe.
The composite T. rex was built from specimens retrieved from three sites in the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations of Montana and Wyoming between 2008 and 2013. The restored fossil is made up of "original bone material," with the skull being particularly rare and remarkably well-preserved. This is significant since most dinosaur fossils are found without their skulls. The scientific adviser quoted in the auction catalog, Nils Knoetschke, said that "here we have truly original Tyrannosaurus skull bones that all originate from the same specimen."
Despite concerns that the composite skeleton may not be entirely authentic, it still fetched a fair price at auction. Karl Green, the auction house's marketing director, suggested that "it could be that it was a composite — that could be why the purists didn't go for it." Nevertheless, the buyer, a European private collector, paid 5.5 million Swiss francs (about $6.1 million) for Trinity, including the buyer's premium and fees.
Trinity was not the only T. rex skeleton to be auctioned off from the same areas of Montana and Wyoming. The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago bought "Sue" for $8.4 million over a quarter-century ago, and "Stan" sold for nearly $32 million three years ago. The fascination with the carnivorous dinosaur has been further fueled by Hollywood movies, such as the blockbuster "Jurassic Park" franchise.
In summary, Trinity, a composite T. rex skeleton, has sold for $5.3 million at an auction in Switzerland. The restored fossil comprises original bone material and includes a remarkably well-preserved and rare skull. Although concerns were raised about its authenticity, Trinity still fetched a fair price at auction and set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur at auction in Europe.
