Giant Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to be auctioned in Switzerland

In this photograph taken on March 28, 2023, Zurich shows 'Trinity' a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, which will be auctioned in Switzerland on April 18, 2023, marking the first such sale in Europe. PHOTO AFP ZURICH - Millions of years after dinosaurs rule the earth, the skeleton of a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex was introduced to the public in Switzerland ahead of its auction next month.

The giant carnivore, TRX- 293 Trinity, is expected to fetch between 5 million $5.43 million and 8 million Swiss francs $8.70 million when it goes on sale in Zurich on April 18.

It is the third T-Rex skeleton to be offered at auction and the first in Europe, standing 3.9 meters high and measuring 11.6 meters long.

Cyril Koller, owner of the auction house, said the name of the skeleton is Trinity because it is made of three individuals and all were found in the US.

The rest of the name derives its name from the 293 bones in its skeleton.

Koller thought a private individual would be the buyer, although he was sure that the public would still see it in the future.

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In this photograph taken on March 28, 2023 in Zurich, the project manager left takes part in the installation of a skeleton called 'Trinity' a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which will be auctioned in Switzerland on April 18, 2023, marking the first such sale in Europe. Hans Jacob-Siber, a paleontologist at the Aathal Dinosaur Museum in Switzerland, said PHOTO AFP Discoveries of T-Rex fossils are extremely rare.

It is not a cast or a copy, it is the original. Until about 1970 or 1980, there used to be less than a dozen Tyrannosaurus, most of them were already in the United States' museums. Almost all of the fossilized T-Rexes are housed in museums, which means massive interest whenever a skeleton comes up for sale.

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Two other T-Rexes discovered in North America - Sue and Stan - fetched $8.4 million and $31.8 million when they were sold in 1997 and 2020.