The skeleton of an adult dinosaur named Barry, a large specimen of Camptosaurus from the end of the Jurassic period, roughly 150 million years ago, with remarkable preservation and one of the most complete skulls ever documented for the specie, is on display at Drouot auction house in Paris, France, September 12, 2023. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
Millions of years after dinosaurs disappeared from the face of the Earth, the skeleton of a Camptosaurus will go on auction in Paris on October 20, for the first time since its discovery in the 1990s.
The dinosaur, named Barry, was discovered in north-eastern Wyoming (Crook County) in a private property. It lived at the end of the Jurassic period, roughly 150 million years ago.
The dinosaur’s skeleton is 2.10 metres (6.9 feet) tall and 5 metres (16.4 ft) long. It is composed of over 80% original bone, an unusually high percentage.
The animal’s skull in particular, complete with teeth, is exceptionally well preserved, with over 90% of original bone. It is one of the most complete ever documented.
The fossil was first restored in 2000 by paleontologist Barry James, from whom it got its name.
Barry has been part, for more than 20 years, of the collection of an American neuroscientist and astrophysicist, who displayed it in her Colorado residence until 2022, when the Italian company Zoic purchased it to undertake further research.
The dinosaur’s skeleton is now set to be presented to the public in mid-October, before going under the hammer. It is expected to fetch up to €1.2 million ($1.28 million).