Complete T. Rex Skeleton Gus Unveiled at Sotheby's New York Ahead of Record Auction

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Sotheby's in New York put one of the world's best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons on display Wednesday, weeks before the fossil is offered at auction.

The specimen, known as "Gus," carries an estimated sale price of US$20 million to US$30 million — a figure Sotheby's says is the highest ever placed on a dinosaur fossil. Palaeontologists recovered the remains in 2021 from a cattle ranch in South Dakota.

Scientists say Gus roamed Earth during the Maastrichtian era, roughly 72 to 66 million years ago, when the planet had a warmer climate, higher seas and wide coastal plains prone to flooding.

The skeleton stretches 38 feet (11.6 metres) from head to tail, ranking it among the biggest T. rex specimens on record. It comprises 183 fossilised bones and is about 63 per cent complete.

Members of the public can view Gus at Sotheby's New York through July 14, the date set for the sale.