A 77-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton could fetch £6.7m at New York auction

A Sotheby's New York employee demonstrates the size of the Gorgosaurus dinosaur skeleton. Credit: AP

A fossilised skeleton of a dinosaur which is believed to have roamed the earth 77 million years ago could be sold for as much as £6.7 million ($8 million) when it is auctioned later this month.

The 10 ft tall, 22 ft long specimen of the Gorgosaurus - a carnivore that lived in what is now the western United States and Canada - will go under the hammer at Sotheby's auction house in New York on July 28.

It will be the first time a dinosaur of this kind has been offered at auction and with an estimate of $5 million (£4.2 million) to $8 million (£6.7 million), it is considered one of the most valuable to ever appear on the market.

The Gorgosaurus is said to be a “close relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex” but they are believed to predate them by around 10 million years.

The specimen being sold was discovered in 2018 in the Judith River Formation near Havre, Montana.

The specimen measures nearly 10 feet tall and 22 feet long. Credit: AP

Experts claim that the Gorgosaurus was fiercer and faster than the T-Rex, with a stronger bite of around 42,000 newtons compared to 35,000.

All known skeletons, both from the US and Canada, are housed in institutional collections, making this the only specimen of its kind available for private ownership.

Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture, said: “In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like this unbelievable Gorgosaurus skeleton. “Excavated only a few years ago, a Gorgosaurus has never before been offered at auction, and the opportunity of sharing this dinosaur with the public for the first time is an immense pleasure and a highlight of my career.”

The Gorgosaurus skeleton will go on public display for the first time on July 21 at Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries in New York, and will be a highlight of Sotheby’s live Natural History auction.

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