Dual dinosaurs don’t sell?

Reuters carries the shocking story that a pair of precious paleontological predators just didn’t excite auction bidders:

Fossils of two dinosaurs locked in a death match failed to sell at auction on Tuesday despite predictions they would fetch a record $9 million.

The top bid for the dinosaur fossils was $5.5 million and did not meet the reserve price, Bonhams auction house said. Pre-sale estimates had been $7 million to $9 million.

The dueling dinosaurs, which were discovered in Montana in 2006, were two of the most well-preserved dinosaur remains ever unearthed and included pieces of skin, Bonhams said.

One of the skeletons belongs to a ceratopsian, which is similar to a triceratops, but there is debate about its opponent. Scientists are unsure if the second animal is a juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex or a new species. The remains could help settle the question.