This giant Gorgosaurus fossil is being offered for public auction
(CNN) -- This fossil is a sight for saur eyes.
Sotheby's New York announced it will auction the skeleton of a Gorgosaurus, a cousin to the T-Rex, later this month, and it's estimated to sell for up to $8 million.
This member of the Tyrannosaurid family roamed the earth about 77 million years ago and was an apex carnivore that resided in the western part of the United States and Canada during the late Cretaceous Period. Because of its T-Rex genes, it has similar features, including an enormous head with dozens of sharp curved teeth and two small front limbs. However, it was faster than a T-Rex and had a stronger bite force, according to Sotheby's.
"As the master hunter of its time, in which it was believed to have hunted in packs of four, the Gorgosaurus was a dominant force and a singular predator," Sotheby's said.
The massive fossil, which measures 10 feet tall and 22 feet long, was discovered in 2018 near Havre, Montana, according to Sotheby's. All other known Gorgosaurus skeletons are housed in museum collections, which makes this the only specimen to be offered for private ownership.
"In my career, I have had the privilege of handling and selling many exceptional and unique objects, but few have the capacity to inspire wonder and capture imaginations quite like this unbelievable Gorgosaurus skeleton," Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture, said in a news release. "Excavated only a few years ago, a Gorgosaurus has never before been offered at auction, and the opportunity of sharing this dinosaur with the public for the first time is an immense pleasure and a highlight of my career."
This is Sotheby's second sale of a fossilized dinosaur skeleton. In 1997, the auction house sold "Sue," one of the biggest dinosaur fossils in history, for a whopping $8.36 million. That sale broke a record for the most valuable fossil to sell at auction.
Dinosaur enthusiasts can visit the Gorgosaurus skeleton starting July 21 at Sotheby's York Avenue galleries. It hits auction on July 28.
