Remains of the day: dinosaur skeleton fetches $5.3m
PARIS: The nearcomplete skeleton of a carnivorous dinosaur which roamed the earth about 150 million years ago was sold at a Paris auction house yesterday for ¤3 million ($NZ5.3 million).
The skeleton of the allosaurus, dug up in the US state of Wyoming three years ago, went to an unnamed foreign buyer for well over the ¤1 million starting price.
‘‘This is a highgrade specimen,’’ said Iacopo Briano, a palaeontologist who acted as a consultant to the Binoche et Giquello auction house, which conducted the sale.
The specimen is unusual because it is so complete: about 70% of the bones are present, and they were found aligned with each other, making it easier to reconnect them during the restoration process.
The restored skeleton stands 3.5m high and 10m long. The ribcage bears the marks of what the auctioneers said might have been an attack by a rival allosaurus or a predator. — Reuters