Gorgosaurus prowled the western United States and Canada in search of prey.
The fossilized skeleton of Gorgosaurus, a T-rex relative that roamed the globe 10 million years before its descendant, sold at auction for $6.1 million (£5.01 million).
The gigantic animal, which hunted food in what is now the western United States and Canada 76 million years ago, was auctioned off on Thursday at Sotheby’s in New York.
It is approximately 10 feet tall and 22 feet long.
According to the auction site, all other known Gorgosaurus skeletons are in museum collections, making this the only specimen available for private ownership.
Before the auction, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture, Cassandra Hatton, stated, “In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few can inspire awe and capture imaginations quite like this incredible Gorgosaurus skeleton.”
Sotheby’s estimated that the fossil would fetch between $5m and $8m (£4.1m and £6.6m) before its sale.
