A chance encounter between a cattle rancher and a commercial paleontologist led to the discovery of one of the largest T. rexes ever found. The fossil, named Gus, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York City, with an estimated price of up to $30 million.
The Discovery
Gus was discovered on the Licking ranch in South Dakota, within the Hell Creek Formation, a renowned geological site for T. rex fossils. The rancher, Gary ‘Gus’ Licking, had always suspected that his land was hiding something big, and his suspicions were confirmed when Thomas Heitkamp, a commercial paleontologist, stumbled upon the ranch while searching for fossils.
Heitkamp and his team excavated the site over three field seasons, from 2021 to 2023, and found a nearly complete T. rex skeleton, measuring 38 feet in length and 12.5 feet tall. The skeleton includes 183 fossil bone elements, making it about 61% complete by bone count, or 75% to 80% complete by mass.
Controversy Over Private Ownership
The sale of Gus has sparked controversy among paleontologists, who argue that private ownership of fossils can limit scientific access and hinder research. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology opposes fossil sales, and many researchers refuse to study privately held specimens.
Stuart Sumida, a professor of biology at California State University, San Bernardino, and president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, said that if Gus is sold to a private individual, it may never be seen by the public again and will not be subjected to proper scientific study.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
