TYRANNOSAURUS REX SPECIMEN GUS VALUED AT $30M AHEAD OF SOTHEBY'S AUCTION

Sotheby's will auction a Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen called Gus on Tuesday, valued at £30m, marking a significant moment in the commercial fossil market. Gus represents one of the most complete T. rex specimens ever discovered and may become the most expensive dinosaur sold at auction. The specimen was found in South Dakota's Badlands region 67 million years after the creature lived, and was named after Gary "Gus" Licking, a cattle rancher on whose land it was unearthed. Thomas Heitkamp led the team that discovered and excavated Gus over a three-year period.

The auction reflects a growing shift in fossil trading, attracting wealthy private collectors alongside the museums that historically dominated such sales. Cassandra Hatton, global head of natural history at Sotheby's, noted that fossil hunters endure considerable hardship during excavations, including months spent camping in remote locations with exposure to wildlife. Dr Fiann Smithwick, an independent palaeontologist with 20 years of experience in fossil preservation, explained that specimens deteriorate rapidly once removed from the ground, requiring careful handling to prevent decay and fragmentation. The 1997 sale of a T. rex named Sue to the Field Museum in Chicago for $8m marked Sotheby's first natural history auction of this kind.

The sale raises questions within the scientific community about whether specimens of significant scientific value should remain in museums for research purposes or be sold to private collectors. Fossil hunters argue they deserve financial reward for discovering specimens and preserving them from deterioration. Museums and palaeontologists contend that such important specimens belong in institutions where they can be studied and preserved for public benefit.