Sotheby’s, the renowned auction house, has announced that it will be auctioning off the fossilized skeletons of two remarkable prehistoric creatures—an aerial predator with a wingspan of 20 feet (six meters) and an aquatic reptile with a snake-like neck. The auction is set to take place in New York later this month.
These ancient specimens, both dating back tens of millions of years, will be part of the latest sale of prehistoric fossils by Sotheby’s. The auction house gained prominence in the field of fossil auctions after successfully selling a Tyrannosaurus rex named Sue in 1997.
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s head of science and popular culture, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming auction, saying, “More than 25 years since the groundbreaking sale of Sue the T. rex at Sotheby’s, we are very excited to now turn our attention to its predatory peers of the sky and the sea.”
The first skeleton to be auctioned is that of a pteranodon, a large bird-like creature that lived approximately 85 million years ago. Nicknamed “Horus” after the falcon-headed Egyptian god, this pteranodon was discovered in 2002 in Kansas. It hails from an inland sea that once divided the North American continent during the Cretaceous Period. With its impressive size, the pteranodon soared over bodies of water and used its elongated beak to catch prey. Sotheby’s noted that the specimen retains nearly all of its original fossilized bones, making it an exceptionally rare find in terms of size and preservation. The estimated price range for the pteranodon at auction is set at $4 million to $6 million.
The second skeleton up for auction is that of an 11-foot (3.3-meter) plesiosaur, an aquatic reptile believed to have lived around 190 million years ago. Discovered in Gloucestershire, England, in the 1990s, this plesiosaur has drawn comparisons to the legendary Loch Ness monster due to its long neck, small head, and flippers, which align with descriptions of the fabled creature. Sotheby’s has affectionately named their specimen “Nessie.” The estimated auction price for the plesiosaur ranges from $600,000 to $800,000.
With these fascinating fossils on offer, Sotheby’s continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts alike, inviting them to partake in the auction and acquire a piece of natural history.