Gus is joined at auction by a separately sold leg, a partial jaw with four unusually dark teeth, an individual claw and multiple teeth, all pulled from Hell Creek Formation sites in Montana and South Dakota.
The wider catalogue spans a juvenile Gryposaurus skeleton, a pair of nestling hadrosaurs found with their eggshells, a Brachylophosaurus preserving skin impressions, an Allosaurus jaw preparation, a Stegosaurus dorsal plate, ammonites, ichthyosaurs, Eocene fish fossils and petrified wood, alongside natural history artwork.
Pricing swings
For those weighing a bid, the fossil market’s history is worth flagging.
According to CFA Institute research, a Triceratops skeleton failed to meet its reserve price at a 2008 sale held as the financial crisis took hold, a sign of how sensitive prices can be to broader market conditions, while Sue’s 1997 result was driven in part by the cultural moment around the Jurassic Park films as much as by scarcity.
Specialists cited by CFA Institute point to preservation quality, accuracy of reconstruction, completeness, whether a mount comes from a single individual rather than several combined, and presentation as the main drivers of value, with carnivore specimens bearing prominent teeth and claws commanding the highest prices.