A rare T. rex fossil expected to sell for $30 million (£22 million) or more at Sotheby's this week rattled scientists who argue dinosaur fossils should not end up in private collections, but in museums.
The specimen, known as Gus, is one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever discovered, and researchers fear another record-breaking sale could make priceless prehistoric finds even harder for scientists and the public to access.
Fossil auctions were once dominated by museums looking to expand their collections. That changed in recent years as wealthy collectors entered the market, driving prices to levels few public institutions can match. Gus follows a string of multi-million-dollar dinosaur sales, including Apex, a Stegosaurus that sold for $44.6 million (£32.8 million) in 2024, and Stan, a T. rex that fetched $31.8 million (£23.4 million) in 2020.
T. Rex Fossil Auction Divides Science And Wealth
The dinosaur heading to auction is no ordinary fossil.
Gus was discovered in South Dakota's Badlands and spent three years being carefully excavated before another three years were devoted to documenting and rebuilding the skeleton in a laboratory.
According to Sotheby's, 61 per cent of the animal's bones have been identified, making it one of the largest and most complete T. rex specimens ever recovered. Auction specialists also point to evidence of the dinosaur's violent life, including a large bite mark on its skull and several healed broken ribs.
Those features are exactly why palaeontologists believe the fossil belongs in a museum rather than a billionaire's private collection.
'There's no substitute for having the real fossil,' said Professor Susannah Maidment, a dinosaur researcher at London's Natural History Museum.
'If we're going to do any sort of study, the number one thing is we need to understand the anatomy. We need to know what's real.'
For researchers, fossils are more than museum attractions. They provide physical evidence that helps scientists understand how ancient animals evolved, adapted, and eventually disappeared. Professor Maidment argued that those discoveries have become even more valuable as scientists study today's rapidly changing environment.
She also warned that soaring auction prices are putting museums at a growing disadvantage.
'We're already priced out of having access to many, many specimens,' she said.
Billionaires Fuel Demand For Rare T. Rex Fossils
The market for dinosaur fossils has changed dramatically over the past decade. While excavators often spend years locating, recovering, and preserving fossils, today's biggest buyers are increasingly wealthy private collectors rather than scientific institutions.
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of natural history, said the high prices reflect the enormous effort required to recover a fossil like Gus.
'People die on excavations,' she said, describing the months fossil hunters spend camping in remote areas surrounded by rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and harsh weather.
She also stressed that many excavators are far from wealthy, often investing their own money in projects that can take years to produce any financial return.
'It's not billionaires digging them up,' Hatton said. 'But it is billionaires buying them.'
Hatton said she had contacted museums around the world in the hope they would participate in the auction because she wants scientifically important fossils to remain accessible to the public. At the same time, she argued the sale price should reflect the years of work, specialist skills, and financial risks involved in recovering a specimen as significant as Gus.
Scientists acknowledge that private fossil hunters play a vital role in preserving prehistoric remains that might otherwise disappear forever through erosion or decay. Even Dr Fiann Smithwick, an independent palaeontologist who both recovers and sells fossils professionally, agrees they are often responsible for rescuing discoveries before nature destroys them.
What Happens to Dinosaur Fossils After Sale?
Unlike museum collections, fossils owned privately are often unavailable for future scientific study. Professor Maidment said leading scientific journals generally will not publish research based on specimens held in private collections because other researchers cannot reliably examine them over time.
'What happens [if] that person gets bored of them, dies, gets divorced,' she said. 'There have been many cases where specimens have been in private collections, and there's been a scientific description of them and [that has] gone in the skip.'
'So it's actually just not science anymore.'
Not everyone believes museums are the only safe home for fossils.
Dr Smithwick noted that important specimens have also been lost while in public collections, including a fossil discovered by pioneering palaeontologist Mary Anning that was destroyed during a Second World War bombing raid. Even so, he argued that many less famous fossils, rather than headline-grabbing auction pieces, often hold the greatest scientific value and continue to inspire future generations through museums and local fossil collections.
