A young Ceratosaurus skeleton is set to fetch a staggering $6m (£4.4m) at auction.
The carnivorous dinosaur is said to have roamed the Earth approximately 149-154 million years ago.
It is around 6ft tall and 10ft long.
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And only four skeletons of this kind of dinosaur have ever been found.
Researchers studied 139 fossil bone elements, which, judging from the delicate, fine nature of the bone structure, and the overall size and degree of bone development, determined that the skeleton was young.
It is also one of the more complete examples in existence and dates back to the Kimmeridgian stage of the late Jurassic period, as reported by What’s The Jam.
The bones are fully mineralised with a dark grey to black coloration and have been well preserved.
Each skull bone is extraordinarily complete, including the lower jaws with both upper and lower dentition.
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In addition to the incredible 43 teeth present, there are five loose-rooted teeth.
The diagnostic horned nasals are distinct and well preserved, and the orbital ridge-shaped horns are also “intact and discernible”.
The listing reads: “The specimen was meticulously prepared to the highest standards, showcasing the fossil’s natural beauty.
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“Accurately articulated anatomically, the skeleton is professionally mounted in an action pose on a custom metal armature with jaws open, displaying its formidable dentition.”
The dinosaur was discovered in Bone Cabin Quarry, Albany County, Wyoming, US, at the site of numerous expeditions organised by the American Museum of Natural History from 1898 to 1905.
Henry Fairfield Osborn, the museum’s curator of vertebrate palaeontology, described the quarry as “the greatest find of extinct animals made in a single locality in any part of the world.”
It turned up, among other dinosaurs, examples of Brontosaurus, Allosaurus, and Stegosaurus, as well as extinct crocodiles and turtles.
The skeleton is being auctioned with full rights, and the offering includes full documentation certifying condition, authenticity, and legality of ownership.
As well as detailed 3D scans of the full skeleton, and X-rays of the skull and its individual elements.
The live auction is with Sotheby’s and begins on 16 July at 3pm BST and is estimated to fetch between $4m and $6m.
