Big John, Largest-ever Triceratops, Up For Auction
A 2014 discovery of the largest-ever triceratops skeleton could generate millions of dollars with its $1.7 million price tag.
The larget-ever ever triceratops unearthed and dubbed 'Big John' is up for auction in Paris on Thursday.
Big John is expected to make $1.7 million at the Drouot auction house.
The dinosaur's skeleton is 60% complete after being unearthed in 2014, in South Dakota US, and assembled by experts in Italy.
John lived during the final era of dinosaurs, also known as the Upper Cretaceous period. He died in a floodplain, which caused him to be buried in mud, therefore keeping him preserved in such good condition.
The skeleton has an injury near the cranium, which suggests he has been through at least one fight.
The price tag marginalizes museums, excluding them from the purchase. "We can't compete," said Francis Duranthon, Director of the Toulouse Museum of Natural History.
According to Duranthon, $1.7 million represented 20-25 years of his acquisitions budget.
The public has a good chance to see Big John, auctioneer Alexandre Guiquello said.
Scientists had also analyzed the bones before the auction, providing them with further insight into the era.
The triceratops is one of the most distinctive dinosaurs due to its three horns - and the reason behind the dinosaur's Latin name.