A Tyrannosaurus rex skull unearthed in South Dakota is expected to sell for $15 million or more at auction in New York next month, officials with SothebyB次元官网网址檚 said Tuesday.

The 200-pound (91-kilogram) skull fossil, nicknamed Maximus, is being sold Dec. 9 by an owner who wishes to remain anonymous, the auction house said.

The skull was excavated in 2020 and 2021 in Harding County, South Dakota, where other T. rex skeletons like and were found, according to Cassandra Hatton, SothebyB次元官网网址檚 head of science and popular culture. She called the area B次元官网网址渢he world capital for T. rexes.B次元官网网址�

Most of the rest of this T. rexB次元官网网址檚 remains were destroyed over time by erosion, but SothebyB次元官网网址檚 experts said the skull was a major find. Hatton noted, B次元官网网址淲hen you think about it, more people can fit a skull in their home than people who could fit a full dinosaur.B次元官网网址�

The 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) fossil is about 76 million years old and still has most of the external skull bones and numerous teeth, SothebyB次元官网网址檚 experts said.

Hatton said two large puncture holes in the skull are evidence of a big fight, probably with another T. rex. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 know that this is what caused the death of this animal, but we can tell that it did have a major battle during its lifetime,B次元官网网址� she said.

Marks on the skull are interesting to study B次元官网网址渂ecause they give us an idea about what life was like during ,B次元官网网址� Hatton said.

This specimen may not be headed to a research institution, though. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the ultimate trophy,B次元官网网址� Hatton said. B次元官网网址淭o place in oneB次元官网网址檚 home.B次元官网网址�

The Associated Press

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