A T. rex fossil may set a sales record. But will science lose?

Key Points:

• The Licking ranch in South Dakota, located in the Hell Creek Formation, has yielded a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil named Gus, which is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s and could become the world’s most expensive fossil.
• Gus is about 61% complete by bone count and shows unique features such as bite marks and healed fractures, but no formal scientific study has been published since it is privately owned, raising concerns among paleontologists about access and research limitations.
• The auction of Gus highlights the ongoing conflict between private ownership and scientific stewardship of fossils, with experts warning that fossils in private hands often become inaccessible for research and public display.
• Commercial paleontologists argue that private excavation efforts are crucial for recovering fossils that might otherwise be lost, while critics suggest that public institutions could conduct such excavations if landowners cooperated.
• The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and other scientists advocate for fossils of scientific importance to be permanently curated in public institutions to ensure ongoing research access and protect Earth’s non-renewable scientific heritage.