Iconic dinosaur skeleton to be auctioned in Billingshurst

The Diplodocus Longus, one of the most iconic dinosaurs and largest animals from the Jurassic era, will be open for bids on November 27 at Summer Place Auctions in Billingshurst as part of an ‘Evolution’ sale. The venue was chosen for this historic sale because of its experience in auctioning fossils in the last 15 years.

This female Diplodocus, “Misty” as she has been nicknamed, hails from the U.S. state of Wyoming, where she was discovered by dinosaur hunter Raimund Albersdoerfer and his children during their excavations of Dana quarry. The fragmentary remains were painstakingly prepped at a leading fossil laboratory in Holland before being assembled in the UK. Relatively complete Diplodocus skeletons are extremely rare and this specimen joins only a handful of other known examples.

However, for those hoping to bring some pre-historic chic to their living rooms, Misty will not come cheaply, and the 55ft-long fossil carries an estimate of £400,000 to £600,000.

The Evolution sale is being curated by the renowned natural history expert and author Errol Fuller and the ground-breaking auction will include Dodo bones, a fossilized Ichthyosaurus (Ichthyosaurus communis), taxidermy, and a giant Aldabran tortoise worth approximately £3,000. ‘Evolution’ will be the first specialist sale of natural history at Summer Place Auctions.