NEW YORK, 28 JULY 2022: Measuring nearly 10 feet tall and 22 feet long, the fearsome Gorgosaurus, the first-of-its-kind to ever appear at auction and one of only 20 known to exist, sold for $6.1 million as the opening lot of Sotheby’s live Natural History sale in New York this morning. The result places the Gorgosaurus among the most valuable dinosaurs ever sold at auction, and establishes a new benchmark for a Gorgosaurus skeleton. Unlike Sotheby's watershed sale of ‘Sue’ the T. rex in 1997, today's Gorgosaurus came to auction without a name, providing the buyer the exclusive opportunity to name the dinosaur.

The Gorgosaurus result propelled the Natural History auction to $7.6 million, establishing it as the most valuable sale for the category at Sotheby's. Full auction results available here.

A member of the Tyrannosaurid family, whose name translates as “fierce” or “terrifying” lizard, the Gorgosaurus was an apex carnivore that reigned during the Late Cretaceous period, roaming the earth approximately 77 million years ago. Native to what is now Western North America, this specimen was discovered in 2018 in the Judith River Formation near Havre, Montana, a historically important formation that has been excavated by paleontologists for over a century. The discovery was particularly exceptional due to the rarity of Gorgosaurus material south of the Canadian border, this being one of only a tiny handful to be found in the United States.

Ahead of the sale, Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science and Popular Culture commented: “I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like this unbelievable Gorgosaurus skeleton. Excavated only a few years ago, a Gorgosaurus has never before been offered at auction, and the opportunity of sharing this dinosaur with the public for the first time is an immense pleasure and a highlight of my career.”

The Natural History sale was further highlighted by a number of significant dinosaur fossils, including a Triceratops skull that achieved $661,500 (est. $250,000 - $350,000). Measuring 90 inches long and 57 inches wide, the fossil comes from Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota and roamed the earth approximately 66 million years ago. This species of Triceratops belongs to the Ceratopsidae family, characterized by beaks, rows of shearing teeth in the back of the jaw, elaborate nasal horns, and a bony shelf that extends back and up into a frill.

Additional fossil highlights from today’s sale include articulated Allosaurus leg bones, which sold for $163,800, and a complete Tyrannosaurus Rex rooted tooth, which fetched $100,800.

The sale follows hot on the heels of the record-breaking Buzz Aldrin: American Icon auction on Tuesday, which achieved $8.2 million to become the most valuable space exploration auction of all time, and Sotheby’s first ever auction dedicated to meteorites which achieved $1.3 million yesterday, with the final Geek Week sale, Self Reflected, closing this afternoon.