Dinosaur Skeleton, To Be Auctioned Off , By Sotheby's in NYC.<br />The 76 million-year-old fossilized skeleton of a Gorgosaurus is scheduled for auction on July 28.<br />The Gorgosaurus lived during the Cretaceous Period <br />in what is now the Northwest U.S. and Canada.<br />The apex predator is thought to be an ancestor of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.<br />In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and <br />unique objects, Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's, via NPR News.<br />... but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like <br />this unbelievable <br />Gorgosaurus skeleton, Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's, via NPR News.<br />Paleo-scientists say that it's "disappointing to see a good specimen of a rare dinosaur potentially <br />on its way to a private collector.".<br />Any time that a vertebrate fossil is being sold, potentially privately, it's disturbing, Gregory Erickson, Paleobiologist at <br />Florida State University, via LiveScience.<br />Part of the criticism of allowing private collectors to own dinosaur fossils has to do with the <br />scientific potential of such specimens.<br />It steals away the potential for scientific advancement. , Gregory Erickson, Paleobiologist at <br />Florida State University, via LiveScience.<br />Gorgosaurus fossils are particularly rare <br />finds, with only 12 known fossilized<br />skeleton specimens in the world.<br />In this case as near as I can tell, the specimen has been legally collected, so it's fair game. , Gregory Erickson, Paleobiologist at <br />Florida State University, via LiveScience.<br />That's where our laws are, Gregory Erickson, Paleobiologist at <br />Florida State University, via LiveScience.<br />The rarity of the specimen seems to even be a selling point for the Sotheby's auction. .<br />The discovery was particularly exceptional due to the rarity of Gorgosaurus material south of the Canadian border, this being one of only a tiny handful to be found in the United States, Sotheby's Statement, via LiveScience
