Unknown Dinosaur Species Shown at Aguttes Auction House Before Move to Paris
La Maison Aguttes (13 bis Place Jules Ferry, Lyon 6) has announced the display of a one-of-a-kind dinosaur skeleton through May 28.
Discovered in Wyoming, U.S.A. in 2013, the skeleton of this carnivorous dinosaur is not part of any currently known species. It will be shown in Lyon until the end of May. It will then move to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and be auctioned off on June 4.
The dinosaur skeleton being showed at Aguttes is of an unknown species. ©Aguttes
Where Did the Skeleton Come From?
The skeleton was found in the Morrison Formation, a 1,5 million square kilometer swath of Jurassic sedimentary rock that covers parts of Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho, and extends north into Canada. It is the richest source of dinosaur fossils in the world.
This particular specimen was found in the eastern Bighorn Mountains of Johnson County, Wyoming. Researchers have established that it comes from the Kimmeridgian age of the late Jurassic period, but soon realized it differed in important ways from other known species.
What Is It, and What Does It Mean?
The preliminary study, led by paleontologists Dr. Pascal Godefroit and Dr. Simone Maganuco, revealed that the animal was part of the Theropod dinosaur group, a category characterized by the infamous T-Rex. Theropod dinosaurs are carnivorous creatures who have short forelimbs and walk on their hind legs.
The skeleton will be shown in Lyon until the end of May, when it will be moved to Paris to be put up for auction. ©Aguttes
Researchers know the animal was old when it died but have not yet determined the cause of death. It is the only skeleton of this type in the world, measuring nine meters long and 2,60 meters high.
The bidding will start at one million euros. The hope is that it will be acquired by a museum where paleontologists can continue to study this new species and likely open a new line of research within the field of paleontology.
Aguttes is an auction house with showrooms in Lyon, Paris, and Deauville. The house sold a rare Mammoth skeleton for almost €550,000 in Lyon in December.