A skeleton of Deinonychus, a dinosaur from the family of dromaeosaurids, was sold for a record $12.4 million at Christie's auction in the United States. They got this name due to the deadly claws located on each paw.
The remains of a three-meter predator were discovered by archaeologists back in 2015. It happened in the state of Montana: the dinosaur lived in this territory 108-115 million years ago.
The skull and part of the bones of Deinonychus were missing. The researchers replaced the missing elements with artificial fragments. But compared to other similar skeletons, the lot is in excellent condition. Archaeologists have nicknamed him "Hector" in honor of the hero from the poem "Iliad" (Homer).
After the end of the excavations, Hector was transported to the Danish Museum of Natural History. From 2020 to 2021, the skeleton of a predator, along with other types of dinosaurs (including a tyrannosaurus rex), was exhibited at a major exhibition "King of Dinosaurs".
The sale of a well-preserved skeleton caused dissatisfaction among some scientists. After all, according to paleontologists, the habitat of this species of dinosaurs is very limited. Cretaceous fossils have been found predominantly in western North America. Hector is the only specimen of Deinonychus that has become part of a private collection.
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