Here's that rare Stegosaurus skeleton you've always wanted
Start your own Jurassic Park with a piece of dinosaur history from 150 million years ago as a well-preserved Stegosaurus goes up for auction.
A lot of people are fascinated by dinosaurs, especially the really recognizable ones like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops and Stegosaurus. If you're lucky, you get to see one of them in a museum. If you're really, really lucky, you get to own one of your very own (and hopefully loan it to a museum).
Now's your chance. A rare, mostly complete Stegosaurus goes up for bid through auction house Auctionata on May 28.
The fossil is quite hefty. It is nearly 19 feet long (almost 6 meters) and weighs over 1,800 pounds (850 kilograms). It might not fit in your living room. Auctionata says the fossil's preservation state is at 90 percent, making it one of the most outstanding examples in the world.
In case you need a quick refresher, Stegosaurus was an armored dinosaur dating to the late Jurassic period. This particular fossil comes from Wyoming in the western US. The dino was an herbivore, so you won't have to fear for your person if the skeleton goes all "Night at the Museum" on you and comes to life. Your garden, however, could be in danger.
As if the Stegosaurus wasn't dramatic enough already, it also has a harrowing story to tell. The skeleton has a bite mark on the back side beneath the hip bones that geoscientists say is from an Allosaurus, a meat eater that bears a passing resemblance to T. rex.
Bidding on the dinosaur starts at around $1.3 million (about £900,000, AU$1.8 million). It is expected to just go up from there and eventually fetch an estimated $2.7 million.
The Stegosaurus is part of a larger auction focused on prehistoric fossils and minerals. If the dino is too expensive, you could check into a petrified wood trunk, a crystal skull or a fossilized crab. Your dreams of opening your own Jurassic museum may have to wait.
(Via Luxury Launches)