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Add this one to the list of odd-but-cool things that folks can only buy in New York: Sotheby's just announced that, later this month, it will auction off a 76 million-year-old fossilized dinosaur skeleton that's actually the only specimen of its kind available for private ownership.
The Gorgosaurus skeleton measures 10 feet tall and 22 feet long, and was most recently found in 2018 by the Judith River Foundation near Havre, Montana, where conditions allowed it to be preserved pretty excellently.
Part of Sotheby's natural history auction, which kicks off on July 28, the skeleton is estimated to cost between $5 and $8 million. More so than the price, we can't help but wonder how or where such an item may even be stored. In a warehouse? A giant apartment overlooking Central Park? The Brooklyn Navy Yard? Way outside of New York, perhaps?
"In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like this unbelievable Gorgosaurus skeleton," said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture, in an official statement about the auction.
For those of you interested in the specifics of this particular dinosaur, Sotheby's explains that the specimen "was a very large, mature individual at the time of death." It also boasts a "well-preserved skull" and "contains the three major bones which create the orbit, the feature which distinguishes the Gorgosaurus from the T. rex." The more you know, right?
If you're like the rest of us, the dinosaur won't easily make it to your Christmas wishlist. That being said, you'll likely be delighted to know that you'll get to see the Gorgosaurus with your own eyes when it goes on public display for the first time at Sotheby's York Avenue galleries on July 21. See you there?