Gorgosaurus dinosaurs will get millions of dollars at auction

Gorgosaurus dinosaur skeletons will be auctioned for the first time and are expected to sell for between $5 million and $8 million.

Sotheby’s auction house will place a specimen 3m high and 6.7m long under the hammer* in New York on 28 July.

Sotheby’s described the skeleton as “one of the most valuable dinosaurs ever to appear on the market”.

Gorgosaurus roamed the earth about 77 million years ago. A typical adult weighed about two tons, slightly smaller than its more famous relative, Tyrannosaurus rex.

Paleontologists* say it’s fiercer and faster than the T-rex, with a stronger bite of about 42,000 newtons* compared to the T-rex’s 35,000 newton.

The skeleton was found in the Judith River Formation near Havre, in the US state of Montana in 2018.

The sale will mark the first time Sotheby’s has auctioned a complete dinosaur skeleton since selling Sue the T-rex in 1997 for $8.36 million.

“All the other Gorgosaurus specimens that have been found are in the museum,” said Sotheby’s head of science and popular culture, Cassandra Hatton.

“It’s the only thing you can actually buy, so it’s an exciting moment for both private and institutional collectors.”

Unlike other countries, the US does not restrict the sale or export of fossils, meaning the skeletons could end up overseas.

Even if it sells for close to its estimated high of $8 million, the Gorgosaurus will cost less than the fossil T-rex dubbed Stan is selling for $31.8 million in 2020.

That is the highest price ever paid for a fossil. It was sold by auction house Christie’s in New York, which initially estimated the Stan would sell for $6 million to $8 million.

The buyer of the Stan was unnamed* and little was heard of the fossil after its sale. Paleontologists are concerned that the fossils have been purchased by private owners who may no longer give them access to the fossils for research.

But in March this year, officials in Abu Dhabi announced that the 11.7m-long T-rex fossil would be the main attraction at the new natural history museum, due to open in the United Arab Emirates’ capital in 2025.

GLOSSARY

• under the hammer: refers to the auction process, with the auctioneer tapping the small hammer when the sale is complete
• paleontologist: scientists who study fossils
• newtons/s: strength measurement
• anonymous: not publicly identified

ADDITIONAL READING

T-rex called Stan sold for over $44 million

Billions of T-rex roam the Earth

Dig deep on International Dinosaur Day

The world’s best Triceratops is moving in

QUICK QUIZ

1. What price did Gorgosaurus expect to sell for?
2. How long did Gorgosaurus roam the earth?
3. In which US state was Gorgosaurus found?
4. Which dinosaur holds the record for the highest price paid for a fossil?
5. Where will the fossil be of stellar attraction in 2025?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Gorgosaurus Facts
Write down five facts about Gorgosaurus that can be found in this story.

Use your research skills to discover five new facts about gorgosaurus.

Identify two similarities and two differences between Gorgosaurus and T-rex.

Time: take 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Link: English; Science

2. Extension
Do you think that the $US5-8 million price tag is fair for a 77 million year old dinosaur skeleton? Why or why not?

Does the fact that the most expensive price ever paid for a painting (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi) was $450 million in 2016 impact your opinion on whether the dinosaur’s price estimate is reasonable?

Time: give 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Link: English; HAS; Ethical Understanding

VCOP ACTIVITIES
creative vocabulary
Find bland sentences from the article to the top level. Can you add more details and descriptions? Can you replace the word “word” with a more specific synonym?

Have you beat yourself up and used some really good vocabulary throughout your writing? First, well done. Second, let’s make sure everyone can understand it by adding a glossary. Choose your three wow words and create a glossary for each word to explain its meaning.

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