A 67-million-year-old skeleton belonging to a Tyrannosaurus rex named Stan is going up for auction in October
- Christie's will be auctioning off a 67-million-year-old skeleton belonging to a Tyrannosaurus rex named Stan.
- The skeleton will be available for sale on October 6, but can be viewed at Christie's New York headquarters at Rockefeller Center until October 21.
- While alive, Stan stood 13 feet tall and weighed twice as much as an African elephant.
- Christie's expects a sale of around $8 million.
What do you get for that friend who has everything? How about a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Christie's will be selling the skeleton of a T. rex named Stan on October 6 at its "20th Century Evening Sale," according to a release from the auction house. It's among the most complete T. rex skeletons ever found.
"There simply aren't T. rexes like this coming to market," James Hyslop, head of the auction house's science and natural history department, said in a statement. "It's an incredible rare event when a great one is found."
Stan, who was unearthed in 1987, is named after his discoverer, Stan Sacrison. It's unknown what name his parents gave him, if any.
He lived during the Cretaceous period on the semi-tropical island continent of Laramidia, which existed where the Badlands of North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana lie, Christie's said.
Stan stood at around 13 feet tall and weighed between seven and eight tons — the equivalent of two African elephants.
In 2005, scientists recreated and tested Stan's skull and learned he could likely crush a car with his bite, according to Christie's.
Those interested in viewing Stan can do so until October 21 at the Christie's headquarters at 20 Rockefeller Center in New York.
Hyslop told the New York Times that the last time a complete T. rex was sold was in 1997, when a skeleton for a dinosaur named Sue was sold for $8.36 million. Christie's is hoping that Stan will beat the record.