An almost intact woolly mammoth skeleton has sold for £150,000 ($237,223) at Summers Place Auctions in Sussex, UK.
The lot is the first mammoth to sell in the UK and provided the highlight of the Evolution sale on November 26.
 The mammoth skeleton is 90% complete |
James Rylands, a spokesperson for Summers Place Auctions, told the Daily Mail prior to the sale: "What's exceptional about this one is it's more or less complete with two magnificent tusks. There are one or two toes missing.
"It looks very impressive, the inside curve of the tusks is about 8ft (2.4 metres). It's bigger than an elephant…
"It could either go to a museum or if you have a big conservatory it would definitely make a serious statement. It's not like a number 14 bus, there isn't going to be another one coming along."
The mammoth is thought to have lived in Eastern Europe (where it was uncovered) around 30,000-50,000 years ago. It's close to 90% complete, with the few missing bones replaced by replicas.
A giant elephant bird egg achieved £54,000 ($85,400), an increase of 8% on a £50,000 ($79,074) estimate.
The species lived in Madagascar up until it was hunted to extinction by humans between the 14th and 17th centuries. Their eggs are the largest in existence. Very few are known to have survived.
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