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You do not normally associate the world respectful of the preservation of natural history with sporadic explosions of uppercase letters and exclamation points – or at least not until last month, when the fossil from a child Tyrannosaurus rex, potentially the only existing sale on eBay at a price of $ 2.95 million "buy it now".
The list reads: "Most likely the only T-Rex BABY in the world! It has a body 15 feet long and a skull 21 "with serrated teeth! This Rex was a very dangerous meat eater. It's a RARE opportunity to see a baby REX … "
The skeleton, aged about 68 million years, was first discovered in 2013 on a private Montana property. It became the property of the man who discovered it, Alan Detrich, a professional fossil hunter. In 2017, Detrich loaned the fossil to the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas, where he was still exposed when he made the surprise decision to auction it.
The skeletal analysis can help solve a major debate in paleontology on whether small tyrannosaurs in North America are infants or should have separate classification of Nanotyrannus. Such research may now be impossible with the fossil likely to end up in a private collection.
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) criticized both Detrich, who was preparing to take a large sample out of the reach of scientific studies, and the University, for helping to inflate the price of fossil showcase to professional buyers.
In an open letter released last week, the SVP members said it was unfortunate that the fossil was exposed before it could be studied. "This action, which has attracted the attention of hundreds or thousands of visitors to the fossil, has potentially increased its commercial value," they wrote. "Museums rarely have the budget to buy increasingly expensive specimens collected by individuals."
The University of Kansas later said it was unaware of Detrich's plan to put the skeleton up for auction. In a report Museum director Leonard Krishtalka said the exhibition had now been removed and returned to Detrich, and they asked that any association with the museum be removed from the list.
So far, no one has shown interest in paying the asking price, although there is an option to bid and more than 100 people are watching. All museums hoping to start a quick study and then send it back will be disappointed – Detrich has specified a no-return policy.
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