Natural History Signature auction brings '$1m' dinosaur to New York

A rare Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton will star at May's Natural History Signature auction in NY

A 75% complete skeleton of Tyrannosaurus bataar, a distant cousin of Tyrannosaurus Rex, is coming to the Natural History Signature auction next month with a $1m valuation.

The 24 foot long, eight foot tall Cretaceous era specimen, discovered during the past decade, will highlight the New York auction on May 20.

The dinosaur would have been one of the main players in modern day Central Asia around 80 million years ago.

This cousin of T-Rex could make $1m

David Herskowitz, director of natural history at the auctioneer, explains that it is one of the most complete specimens the auction house has ever seen.

"They're incredibly rare to come across in any condition, let alone one as pristine as this," he said.

"Dinosaurs of this size and scarcity almost never come to market fully prepared and fully mounted like this, making it a singular opportunity for the right collector or institution."

And the $1m valuation could even be on the low side, considering the upward trend of the market.

"Consider this: Sue, the famous T-Rex that Sotheby's sold back in 1997, was neither prepped nor mounted when she came across the auction block, ultimately realizing a price of more than $8m," adds Herskowitz.

A fighting allosaurus and stegosaurus, found in a quarry in Wyoming, sold for $2.75m to a museum at the corresponding auction last year.

Collectors will also be able to fight over a Tyrannosaurus bataar tooth with an erupting crown at the sale. The 10.5 inch tooth has an $18,000 valuation and is said to be one of the largest from a Tyrannosaurus bataar ever found.

An ankylosaurid skull from a Saichania chulsanensis of the Cretaceous era will also be present at the auction, with a $60,000 estimate.

Recent and related articles

·  'Largest' T. Rex tooth auctions with 'King of all Saber-tooths' at Bonhams | 12 December 2011

·  Saber-toothed tiger skull fossil gives US Natural History auction some bite | 13 November 2011

·  Collecting with dinosaurs... 'Fighting' skeletons battle to $2.75m at Heritage | 13 June 2011

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Images: Heritage Auctions