T. rex skeleton sells for more than $5M at Zurich auction

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Nearly 300 Tyrannosaurus rex bones that were dug up from three sites in the United States and assembled into a single skeleton have sold at auction for $5.3 million. Crafted into an open-mouth pose, the T. rex, named “Trinity” measures 38 feet long and 12.8 feet high. The sale came in below the anticipated range on Tuesday in Zurich. The composite skeleton was a showpiece of an auction that featured some 70 lots, and the skull was set up next to the auctioneer’s podium. Koller auction house had said Tuesday’s sale was the first time a T. rex skeleton was up for auction in Europe. An auction house official said the buyer was a private European collector.