What science loses when ‘T. rex’ becomes a trophy

Sold for a record price of more than $50 million, ‘Gus’ was described by Sotheby’s as more than 60% complete.

By: Kristi Curry Rogers, Macalester College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 14, 2026

Words: 1,167

Last Updated: 6 days, 22 hours ago

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By Kristi Curry Rogers, Macalester College

On July 14, 2026, “Gus,” one of the most complete specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex, went to an as yet unidentified buyer for US$50.1 million. This auction at Sotheby’s set a record for most valuable fossil ever sold. Another dinosaur has entered the luxury collectibles market, a reminder that even Earth’s deepest history can be sold to the highest bidder.

To paleontologists like me, however, a fossil …

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