As Sotheby's prepared to auction a giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in New York, scientists warned that the fossils' placement in a private collection could harm future research.<\/p>\n
A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton named Gus after the late South Dakota rancher Gary "Gus" Licking, on whose land the bones were found, was scheduled to go up for auction on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
According to CNN, Sotheby's auction house estimated Gus's value at up to $30 million, although prices at major fossil auctions can significantly exceed initial estimates. On Wednesday, NPR reported that a "mystery buyer" purchased Gus for a record-breaking $50.1 million.<\/p>\n
Gus's remains are approximately 611 TP3T in bone mass and nearly 801 TP3T in weight. According to Sotheby's, the specimen is 38 feet long, 12.5 feet tall, and consists of 183 fossilized bone elements. The skull, according to CNN, is remarkably well preserved.<\/p>\n
Sotheby's also notes that the fossil contains bite marks and healed wounds, which could increase its scientific significance.<\/p>\n
Stuart Sumida, a biology professor at California State University, San Bernardino, and president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, warned CNN: "If this specimen ends up in private hands, it may never be shown to the public again.".<\/p>\n
Sumida continued: \u00abFurthermore, it will never be subjected to proper scientific scrutiny\u2014no reputable journal in the world will publish a scientific study based on something that is not in the public domain.\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Scientists consider fossils like Gus's to be invaluable and detailed evidence of early life on Earth, so when such specimens leave government institutions, both researchers and museum visitors may lose access to them forever.<\/p>\n
This could slow scientific progress and simultaneously reduce public education. Scientists argue that large specimens help answer questions about evolution, extinction, ecosystems, and even how life responds to environmental changes over long periods of time. If fossils remain unused, accumulating this knowledge becomes much more difficult.<\/p>\n
The loss of access also impacts local communities, students, and families who rely on museums as an accessible way to engage with science.<\/p>\n
\u00ab"We hope the new owner recognizes the exceptional scientific and educational value of Gus the T. rex and that he intends to preserve it in the public domain by immediately transferring it to an accredited natural history museum," Christie Currie Rogers, president-elect of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, said in a statement Tuesday, according to NPR.<\/p>\n
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