An auction house in the United Kingdom is selling the fossilized remains of a two-meter (nine-foot) long predatory dinosaur known as the Allosaurus. Curators estimate that the skeleton of the prehistoric animal could fetch somewhere between £300,000 ($453,000) and £500,000 ($754,800).
The Billingshurst-based Summers Place Auctions is offering a complete skeletal set of a juvenile Allosaurus that has been given the name Little Al.
The remains, which include the articulated skull of the dinosaur and a full set of teeth, were unearthed from a dig site in Wyoming in 2009 by famed German paleontologist Raimund Albersdoerfer.
"We expect a lot of European and Asian interest in this," Rupert van der Werff, director of Summers Place Auctions, said.
"The Allosaurus, together with the T. Rex, has become the quintessentially large, carnivorous dinosaur in western popular culture."
Van der Werff added that the size of the dinosaur helps increase its value and it could draw interest not only from museums but private collectors as well who would like to make it the centerpiece of their lavish living rooms.
Allosaurus existed during the latter part of the Jurassic Period, around 150 to 155 million years ago. These predators were some of the largest creatures to roam the earth at the time, with some Allosaurus even reaching up to eight meters (28 feet) in length.
Scientists believe the Allosaurus typically hunted in packs and preyed on large herbivore dinosaurs. They are also known to prey on other predatory animals on some occasions.
The Allosaurus' preferred method of attack is by ambushing their prey. They often used their massive upper jaws to crush their victims.
Juvenile Allosaurus, however, had longer appendages, which suggests that they were able to move faster than adult dinosaurs. They likely chased down their prey during hunting runs.
This fearsome dinosaur has been featured in numerous films since the beginning of the 20th century. These include "The Lost World" in 1925, an adventure movie based on the Arthur Conan Doyle book of the same name.
Summers Place Auctions also sold the skeletal remains of a long-necked dinosaur known as the Diplodocus longus two years ago. The fossils were found by Albersdoerfer's teenage sons in Wyoming as well.
The dinosaur skeleton, nicknamed Misty, was bought by Denmark's Natural History Museum for £400,000 (around $652,000 at the time of the sale).
Those interested in acquiring Little Al may only bid via telephone or though live bidding.
