Yahoo Finance T. Rex Skull Found in South Dakota Expected to Sell for $15M at Auction: 'The Ultimate Trophy'
A Tyrannosaurus rex skull unearthed in South Dakota is expected to fetch a monstrous sum at auction.
Officials with Sotheby's estimate the 200-lb. fossil, named Maximus, will sell for around $15 million at an auction planned for Dec. 9, The Associated Press reports.
"This Tyrannosaurus rex skull is one of the best and most complete of its kind ever discovered," the auction house said.
Cassandra Hatton, head of science and popular culture at Sotheby's, called the dinosaur remains "the ultimate trophy ... to place in one's home."
RELATED: 77-Million-Year-Old Skeleton of a Gorgosaurus to Be Auctioned for the First Time
Maximus' skull was found in the South Dakota portion of the Hell Creek Formation, according to Sotheby's.
The area "has yielded more T. rex material than any other location in the world," the auction house said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Specifically, the skull was uncovered in Harding County, where Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons Sue and Stan were previously located, according to the AP.
Hatton said the area is "the world capital for T. rexes," per the report.
Stan sold for almost $32 million in Oct. 2020 at Christie's, though some paleontologists were not happy about the sale, according to a National Geographic report, because of the potential for incentivizing commercial sales over science.
Sotheby's/Facebook
RELATED: Missing $30M T. Rex Skeleton Shrouded in Mystery — Involving Dwayne Johnson! — Finally Turns Up
Sotheby's experts believe the 6 1/2-foot fossil dubbed Maximus is about 76 million years old, the AP reported.
The skull, which still has most of its bones and teeth in place, has two large puncture holes that may be indicative of a fight, Hatton told the outlet.
"We don't know that this is what caused the death of this animal, but we can tell that it did have a major battle during its lifetime," he explained.
Maximus will be available to view at Sotheby's York Avenue galleries prior to the Dec. 9 auction, according to the auction house.
