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Wyoming diplodocus skeleton fetches £400,000 at auction | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A diplodocus skeleton has been sold at auction for £400,000 ($652,000). | |
The 17m-long (56ft) dinosaur was found in a quarry in Wyoming, US, and then assembled in Rotterdam. It is thought to be one of only six relatively complete specimens in the world. | |
An undisclosed institution bought the skeleton, which auction officials said would be going on public display. | |
The Natural History Museum had ruled itself out of bidding for the dinosaur before the auction in West Sussex. | |
The diplodocus, nicknamed Misty, was discovered by the teenage sons of German palaeontologist Raimund Albersdoerfer. | |
They had travelled to the US to help their father dig up a different skeleton before being allowed to try to find their own fossils. It was then they came across the dinosaur. | |
'Sorry to see her go' | 'Sorry to see her go' |
The sale took place at Summers Place Auctions, in Billingshurst. Misty was sold there as the auction's curator, Errol Fuller, knew Mr Albersdoerfer. | |
Rupert van der Werff, from the auction house, said it was a "truly tremendous object". | |
He said: "I'm absolutely thrilled. It has been an awful lot of work and a very exciting project, and to finally get to this final conclusion - we are delighted. | |
"I can't tell you who bought it but it is going on public display." | |
Before the auction, the Natural History Museum, in London, said it would not be bidding for the dinosaur despite its own diplodocus only being a cast of one displayed in Pittsburgh. | |
And that skeleton cast is itself made up of two different diplodocuses. | And that skeleton cast is itself made up of two different diplodocuses. |
Speaking before the sale, auctioneer James Rylands said: "We will be sorry to see her go - the downside of being an auctioneer is that once you've sold something you very seldom get to see it again. | Speaking before the sale, auctioneer James Rylands said: "We will be sorry to see her go - the downside of being an auctioneer is that once you've sold something you very seldom get to see it again. |
"Hopefully this won't be the case with Misty. It's more likely to be bought by a museum. | "Hopefully this won't be the case with Misty. It's more likely to be bought by a museum. |
"There's a fast-developing museum market in Asia and the Middle East. | "There's a fast-developing museum market in Asia and the Middle East. |
"The other big thing is upmarket shopping malls or hotels, especially in the US, because of their high ceilings and atriums. | "The other big thing is upmarket shopping malls or hotels, especially in the US, because of their high ceilings and atriums. |
"Within the context of a shopping mall you can make a real 'wow' statement." | "Within the context of a shopping mall you can make a real 'wow' statement." |