The skull belonged to an adult dinosaur, and all its 'tooth-bearing jaw elements' have been preserved along with most of its external bones.
Last month marked 25 years since a T. rex nicknamed Sue became the first dinosaur ever to be auctioned, which sold the fossil for $8.36 million. Described by Hutton as "the largest and most complete T. rex ever discovered," Sue was also found at the Hell Creek Formation, which has yielded more T. rex remains than any other location in the world, according to Sotheby's.
The 1997 sale was met with controversy, however, with some experts concerned that specimens in private collections would become unavailable for scientific study. Paleontologists have also argued that the growth of the collectors' market makes it harder for them to carry out excavation work on private land.
"In many areas where dinosaur fossils are found, it is becoming more difficult for professional paleontologists to obtain permission to collect fossils on private property because of the commercial value of fossils," wrote paleontologist John W. Hoganson in a 1998 edition of the North Dakota Geological Survey's newsletter.
It is a debate that has surrounded large fossil auctions ever since. Earlier this year, Sotheby's sold the skeleton of a Gorgosaurus, a relative of the T. rex, for just over $6 million, prompting fresh concerns among experts. It was the only fossil of its kind ever to be offered for private ownership, with the other known specimens all housed in museum collections.
"In my own opinion, there are only cons," P. David Polly, a professor and chair of the department of earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, told CNN at the time of the Gorgosaurus sale.
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