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Three dinosaur fossils with a total cost of more than £12m ($15.7m) have been sold at an auction held by Christie’s in London. The skeletons of two Allosaurus and a Stegosaurus date back about 150 million years and were excavated from the same location in Carbon County, Wyoming, where they were rebuilt and transported in 12 crates for the auction. While the Allosaurus is regarded as a predecessor to the T. rex and had sharp claws and powerful jaws, the armoured plates and spiked tail of the Stegosaurus made it an iconic herbivore that could better adapt to its environment and defend itself against predators.
To enhance their authenticity, all three fossils have been reinforced with cast, sculpted, 3D-printed materials and then displayed on custom frames. The Stegosaurus has 144 bone elements, which is approximately the same as the number available in the adult Allosaurus fossil, however, the juvenile version only had 135 bone elements. Although dinosaur bones can fetch millions of dollars at auctions, the fossil industry has faced criticism for depriving researchers and the public of access to significant discoveries by allowing valuable specimens to be sold to private collectors who then keep them hidden away in their personal collections.
Dr. Susannah Maidment, who works at the Natural History Museum in London, is among those who have called for a change in the handling of significant fossils to prevent them from ending up in private collections. She has criticized the sale of dinosaur specimens, claiming that museums cannot afford to pay for them. While James Hyslop, Head of Science and Natural History at Christie’s, admitted that no complete dinosaur skeleton exists, he argued that there is a great passion for them among private collection owners. According to him, “In the case of the two most recent dinosaurs sold at Christie’s – Stan, the T-Rex, and a raptor skeleton – both are now in the care of museums, or on public display.” He also praised the wonder and magnificence of the ancient giants, which remain marvelous remnants of the Earth’s past
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