'Dispiriting and exasperating': The world's super rich are buying up T. rex fossils and it's hampering research

A photograph of the head of a T. rex skeleton against a black backdrop. .

Fewer Tyrannosaurus rex fossils are available for scientific research because wealthy people are purchasing them for private collections, a new study has found.

Dinosaur fossils are a popular showpiece at many high-end auctions, with near-complete skeletons selling for tens of millions of dollars. However, the private trade in T. rex specimens could be hampering researchers' understanding of the iconic Cretaceous predator, the study found.