The 67-million-year-old fossil, nicknamed Gus, is due to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York with an estimated sale price of $20 million to $30m (£15m-£22m). The 38ft-long skeleton was unearthed in South Dakota between 2021 and 2023 and comprises almost 1,000 recovered bones, NPR reports.

The sale comes as the market for rare fossils continues to roar. Last year, the Apex stegosaurus fetched a record $44.6m when it was bought by billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, eclipsing the previous record set by T. rex Sue, which sold for $8.4m in 1997.