- Source: List of dinosaur specimens sold at auction
Many dinosaur specimens have been sold at auction, as part of the fossil trade. On average, around five dinosaur skeletons are put up for auction each year. These specimens are mostly purchased by wealthy private collectors and museums in Europe and the United States, though interest has been growing in China as well. The private sale of fossils has attracted criticism from paleontologists, as it presents an obstacle to fossils being publicly accessible to research.
Most countries where relatively complete dinosaur specimens are commonly found have laws against the export of fossils. The United States allows the sale of specimens collected on private property. As such, the majority of dinosaur fossils sold at auction were collected in the United States. However, smuggled specimens, particularly from Mongolia, also appear at auctions, often with falsified information on their source.
This list includes both specimens sold at auction and specimens that were scheduled to be sold at auction that have received news coverage.
Table
= Specimens planned to be auctioned
=Some specimens planned to be auctioned did not sell, due to failing to meet the reserve price, legal challenges, or other obstacles. This list also includes specimens whose planned auction was announced, but for which information on whether it was sold is not available.
See also
Fossil trade
Antiquities trade
Footnotes
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- List of dinosaur specimens sold at auction
- Stan (dinosaur)
- List of dinosaur specimens with nicknames
- Big John (dinosaur)
- Sue (dinosaur)
- Specimens of Tyrannosaurus
- Lists of dinosaur specimens
- United States v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton
- Fossil trade
- Tyrannosaurus
