A RARE crocodile fossil estimated to be 40 million years old is set to go under the hammer at an auction in Scotland.
The Eocene specimen will be part of a private collection of natural history items to be auctioned at Glasgow auction house McTear’s next week.
The collection of almost 200 pieces was assembled over a lifetime of collecting by a retired Highlands-based geologist, who does not wish to be named. It is estimated to fetch tens of thousands of pounds.
The fossilised crocodilian (Plalaysuchus Petroleum), with a 92cm-long skeleton, was unearthed in China and is thought to be around 40 million years old, the auction house said.
Being in “immaculate condition” in its stone tomb, it is estimated to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000.
Other lots include a nest of fossilised Hardrosaur eggs – duck-billed herbivorous dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous Period – which could fetch £7,000, and a Gibeon iron meteorite that fell to earth in Namibia.
The 25cm-long rock weighs 7kg and is predicted to go for a sum between £4,000 to £6,000.
Items in the auction with a lower price tag include a five-million-year-old fossilised tooth from a Megalodon shark – a much larger ancestor of the Great White – which has an estimate of £100 to £200, plus a number of other fossil and mineral lots on offer for a few hundred pounds, specialists said.
James Spiridion of McTear’s said: “This is a marvellous collection that has been painstakingly assembled over many decades.
“The varied nature of the items is remarkable with fossilised plants and animals sitting alongside rare minerals, rocks and even a meteorite.
“The fossilised crocodilian is in immaculate condition with a near perfect skeleton on show.
“It is worth noting that a similar, albeit larger, example recently sold at auction for $250,000, illustrating quite clearly how important these fascinating items are.”
A Cabinet of Curiosities: Including an Important Natural History Collection, will take place at McTear’s in Meiklewood Road, Glasgow, on August 10 at 12pm.
Bidding is available in the room, by commission, telephone and online.
The full catalogue can be found at www.mctears.co.uk.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel