A huge triceratops, nicknamed "Big John", is expected to fetch lots of money at the October auction in France.
It is more than 66,000 years old and approximately 60% complete. It measures approximately 26 feet (8 meters), and the skull is 75% complete at 6.6 feet (2m).
Giquello representatives stated that the giant fossil will be on display to the public at the French auction house Giquello from Sept. 16 through Oct. 15, 2013 at 13 Rue des Archives, Paris. On Oct. 18, the huge dinosaur fossil will make its first appearance at Parisian auction house Htel Drouot. It will then be auctioned to the highest bidder in Giquello’s "Naturalia” auction. According to the statement, Big John is expected fetch between $1.4million and $1.8million (1.2 million to 1.5 million euros).
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Tri-horned, frilled triceratops lived in North America approximately 67 million to 65 millions years ago. This was during the Cretaceous period (14,5 million to 65.5 million years ago). Big John was born in South Dakota, on the island continent Laramidia. This was formed during the second half of the Cretaceous, when a shallow ocean flooded North America's central area.
Walter W. Stein (owner of PaleoAdventures, a South Dakota-based independent commercial paleontology company) discovered the fossil in 2014. Stein found the skeleton in the Hell Creek Formation, an old flood plain that is rich in fossils. It spans Montana, North Dakota South Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming. According to the University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, a large portion of the formation is located on federal and state lands.
Millions of years ago, Big John was killed and covered in thick mud. This allowed the bones to fossilize. According to the statement, a preserved notch in his collarbone indicates that the triceratops was injured during violent combat. This could have been during a fight with another triceratops for territory or mates.
It is estimated that the enormous triceratops fossil will fetch between $1.4 million to $1.8 million. (Image credit: Courtesy Giquello )
Representatives said that the other triceratops might have done worse: Big John's two largest Horns measure almost 4 feet (1.1m) in length and nearly 1 foot (30 cm) wide at its base. They can withstand 16 tons (14.5 tons) of pressure.
Some dinosaur fossils have sold at auctions for much higher prices than Big John. A 67-million-year-old T. rex named Stan was sold at auction in October 2020 for a record $31.8 million. This made it the most valuable fossil ever. Live Science reported that high-profile fossil sales have raised concerns among paleontologists about the possibility of museums and other scientific institutions being outbid for valuable specimens.
Original publication on Live Science
