Overview
- Sotheby’s has formally listed a 67‑million‑year‑old Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed Gus for its New York Natural History auction on July 14 with a $20 million to $30 million estimate, the highest estimate ever placed on a dinosaur skeleton.
- The specimen was excavated from Gary Licking’s ranch in Harding County, South Dakota by Theropoda Expeditions over three field seasons from 2021 to 2023 and was named after the landowner.
- Sotheby’s describes Gus as about 63 percent complete with 183 fossil elements, including a well‑preserved skull, both feet, rare humeri and a furcula, and bones that show healed fractures and bite marks that can inform study of the animal’s life.
- The mounted skeleton will be on public view at Sotheby’s Breuer building from July 1–14 ahead of the sale, offering museums, foundations and private collectors a chance to inspect the specimen in person.
- The listing follows a run of multi‑million‑dollar fossil auctions and could affect who holds and displays major fossils because high prices make institutional acquisition harder and private ownership more likely.