By Tim Binnall
An incredibly rare complete skeleton of a fearsome dinosaur known as a Gorgosaurus is set to be sold at auction later this month. The 76 million-year-old specimen, which stands approximately 10 feet tall and measures 22 feet in length, was reportedly unearthed from a fossil site in Montana back in 2018. An ancestor of the legendary Tyrannosaurus rex, the Gorgosaurus roamed the planet around 10 million years prior to its iconic relative and bears a striking resemblance to the famed dinosaur in both its skeletal structure as well as its status as an 'apex carnivore' of its era.
At the time of its discovery, the skeleton was celebrated by experts by virtue of its pristine condition and the scarcity of Gorgosaurus remains found in North America. To that end, the forthcoming auction from Sotheby's marks the first time that this particular species of dinosaur has ever been made available to private collectors. As such, the piece could spark something of a bidding war among fossil aficionados hoping to get their hands of the rare specimen which currently has an estimated sale price of around $5 to $8 million.