Rare dinosaur trio fetches £12.4m at London auction
“There is no complete dinosaur skeleton” explained Mr Hyslop, so all three fossils have been enhanced with cast, sculpted, 3D-printed materials, and are displayed on custom frames.
In terms of fossils, the Stegosaurus has around 144 bone elements; the adult Allosaurus has about 143, with the juvenile version having 135.
Dinosaur bones can sell for millions, but auction sales have been criticised by some experts, who argue that fossils often end up in private collections which then denies researchers – and the public – any access to these significant discoveries.
“The problem is these specimens go on sale for huge amounts of money, far more than museums can afford,” Dr. Susannah Maidment, from London’s Natural History Museum, told the BBC in 2019.
However Mr. Hyslop claimed, in his experience, “the majority of private collectors active in this area are keen to share their passion”.
“In the case of the two most recent dinosaurs sold at Christie’s – Stan, the T-Rex, and a raptor skeleton – both are now in the care of museums, or on public display,” he said.
