6 things you should know about the T-Rex skeleton on display in Singapore this weekend

A 12.2m long, 4.6m tall Tyrannosaurus Rex now stands in the middle of Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall - an unexpectedly fitting space for a grand creature.

And yes, it's free to visit the T-Rex skeleton on display, but no, there are no more registered slots for public viewing.

If you'd like to try your luck though, a little birdie tells us that walk-in guests are still welcome from today (Oct 28) till Sunday (Oct 30).

Without further ado, here's a list of things you should know about before you have your rare encounter with the predator this weekend.

1. It's named Shen

'Shen' comes from the Chinese word 'shang shen', and it means god-like.

"We were keen to find a name for Shen that would resonate with our audience in Asia since we're selling it in our Hong Kong auction," shares Georgina Hilton, Head of Classic Art at Christie's, an art and luxury auction house.

Another reason for Shen's name? It follows the 'S' theme.

"The previous T-Rex that Christie's sold was called Stan, and there was another T-Rex offered by another auction house named Sue. We felt that 'Shen' suited this charming beast behind me," Georgina adds.

2. You have the right to rename your T-Rex

"Guys, if you buy Shen, you will be able to rename it. It's a temporary thing," James Hyslop, Head of Science & Natural History at Christie's museum.

The skeleton, which was unearthed in the Hell Creek Formation, Montana, US, will be named as the buyer wishes.

And that is probably the biggest flex anyone can dream of.

3. Shen is estimated to cost US$15 million (S$21.2 million)

If you have seen news of Shen floating around, you might have seen that its price is listed as 'estimate on request'. Well, upon request, Christie's President Francis Berlin tells us that Shen is estimated at US$15 million.

One thing to note though, is that the final price of previous auctions of dinosaur skeletons, Stan the T-Rex and The Raptor, far surpasses their estimates.

Stan was estimated to be US$6-8 million and sold for US$31.8 million - setting a world record for any dinosaur skeleton or fossil ever sold at auction - while The Raptor was estimated at US$4-6 million and sold for $12.4 million.

4. It is the one in 80 million skeleton to be fossilised

"Only one in 80 million of animals that ever existed has been preserved by the fossilisation process," shares James.

This rarity is probably why the public viewing slots for Shen got taken up within seconds of Christie's announcing their Singapore stop.

"You need a series of cosmically unlikely coincidences for an animal to die and be preserved over 66 million years!" James emphasises.

5. There's a bite mark on Shen's tail

"We found all sorts of interesting pathologies as part of the job. In the metatarsal, Shen may have fractured (then heeled) his foot, and there are bite marks on his tail, suggesting he had an encounter with another T-Rex and survived the encounter.

"And those healed bite marks have been preserved during the course of the 66 million years of history," James tells us.

And if you are visiting Shen, look closely at the 13th bone from his tail to spot the slight 'dent' from the bite.

Aside from the 'dents' from bites, osteoarthritis was also detected in Shen, which is believed to be male.

6. The skeleton is poised as though it's in the midst of a hunt

If you've seen any Jurassic movies, you'd know that the T-Rex is an apex predator who was one of the last dinosaurs to ever walk the earth.

"It was so ferocious and it's been calculated that its jaws would have been able to crush a car. And here he is in all of its ferocious stance which has been posed to make it look as if it's in a hunting position," James shares while pointing to Shen's knife-like teeth.

"A lot of work went in with the preparatory team in Germany who have stabilised and mounted the bones onto the skeleton, and scientists to give us the most lifelike posts."

For Shen's public unveiling, it took the team two to three days just to put him together.

"A part of me wants to leave him (Shen) here. It's the lighting - he (Shen) suits this building, doesn't he," James tells us as the light shines through the glass ceiling of Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall onto the predator's perfectly fossilised skull.

After Singapore, Shen will be headed to Hong Kong for another public preview at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from Nov 26-30.

Shen, along with other major masterpieces by iconic Asian and Western artists from across the 20th and 21st centuries, will go on auction at the 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale on Nov 30.

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lynette@asiaone.com

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