A T-Rex skeleton has been put up for auction for the first time in Europe.
The 11.6-metre-long and 3.9-metre-high skeleton has been described as "one of the most spectacular T. rex skeletons in existence."
The sale in question is not the first T-Rex auction or the most expensive sale in the field. However, such sales are very rare.
Last year, a T-Rex skeleton was expected to sell for $25 million at an auction. However, it was withdrawn from sale after doubts arose as to where its parts came from.
The skeleton sold is called “293 Trinity”. It was created from three different T-Rex excavated in the US states of Montana and Wyoming. It consists of 293 individual bones found between 2008 and 2013.
The skeleton was sold at the Koller auction house in Zurich.
From the Aathal Dinosaur Museum in Switzerland, Dr. Hans-Jacob Siber described Trinity as a "special beast" in an interview with the firm's website.
Stating that there are 20-30 T-Rex skeletons in good condition in the world, Siber said, "This is one of the bigger and better ones."
According to the auction house spokesperson, the dinosaur was bought by a private person and will remain in Europe.
Dinosaur expert at the University of Edinburgh, Prof. Steve Brusatte, in his assessment to the BBC, said he was worried about the dinosaur specimens being passed on to humans.
Saying that many museums cannot compete with the budgets of the oligarchs or the super-rich, Brusatte complained that these rare skeletons, which are scientifically valuable and very important for educational work, are not on display to the public.