22-Foot Mosasaur Fossil Emerges in Heritage’s Nature & Science Auction

Fossil crocodile, ruby and gold sculpture and stunning minerals also among Dec. 2 event highlights DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (Nov. 14, 2025) — A pair of spectacular fossils — one of an extinct marine reptile that measures more than 22 feet long (6.7 meters) and the other an early Jurassic crocodile — will become massive additions to their new collections when they are sold as part of Heritage’s Property of a Distinguished Southern California Collector Nature & Science Signature® Auction Dec. 2. “This is an exceptional event, with every lot from the same consignor,” says Craig Kissick, Heritage’s Vice President of Nature & Science. “Collections like this, with this level of both quality and variety, rarely reach the collecting market. From fossils to meteorites, and minerals to lapidary arts, this auction has treasures that will appeal to collectors of all kinds.” The Mosasaur Fossil Skeleton, from what is now Kansas, is a magnificent specimen from the Cretaceous Period of a powerful reptile that was the undisputed apex predator of its marine realm while dinosaurs dominated on land. These powerful reptiles, with their elongated, serpentine bodies and jaws lined with razor-sharp, conical teeth, propelled themselves through the water with rapid, sinuous motions-an elegant yet deadly adaptation that made them masters of pursuit and ambush. Specimens out of the famed Niobrara Chalk Formation are renowned for their scientific importance but often are preserved in soft, friable Limestone, necessitating careful stabilization in matrix and plaster. In the offered example, which measures more than 22 feet long, the entire skeleton has been expertly extracted from its native rock and repositioned within a meticulously crafted faux matrix, allowing for a striking three-dimensional display. This exceptional specimen comprises two sections, which are designed to be joined together to create an immense and impressive display specimen. Another top offering in the auction is a rare Fossil Crocodile from the Holzmaden locality in Germany. This magnificent 10-foot Steneosaurus bollensis represents one of the most visually striking marine reptiles of the Early Jurassic seas. This specimen was unearthed from the world-renowned Posidonienschiefer Shale, a lithostratigraphic formation celebrated for yielding fossils of extraordinary preservation. The skull is lighter and narrower than those from modern crocodilians, featuring large cranial openings and an elongated, tapered snout. The nostrils sit at the tip of the snout and connect to the throat via a distinctive bony canal-an evolutionary feature suited for breathing while partially submerged, and the numerous sharp, conical teeth bear support its piscivorous diet, ideally designed for seizing swift-moving prey. Also from Holzmaden comes a Fossil Crinoid Colony that is among the largest ever to appear outside a museum collection. It presents beautifully preserved sea lilies embedded within a rich grey-black stone matrix. Although plant-like in appearance, these graceful creatures actually were animals that thrived in the warm, shallow seas of the Jurassic Period, attaching themselves to drifting wood, extending their calyxes — the blossom-like crowns of their bodies — to capture nutrients suspended in the water. A Fossil Turtle comes from the Green River Formation in what now is Lincoln County, Wyoming — a fossil-rich area renowned for exquisitely preserved Eocene lacustrine fauna, capturing a vivid snapshot of life 50 million years ago. Among the top attractions from the area are reptiles, especially freshwater turtles like the one offered in this auction. This specimen represents a juvenile Axestemys byssinus, the largest turtle known from these ancient lacustrine sediments of the Early Eocene. Complete turtles of this size (nearly 18 inches long) are exceedingly rare, and are prized additions to advanced fossil collections. The auction features an exceptional array of lapidary art, including a magnificent 2007 Ruby & Gold Eagle Sculpture by Peruvian artist Luis Alberty Quispe Aparicio. This masterpiece is massive — it stands 76 inches (193 centimeters) high, including the dark granite obelisk on which it is mounted — and is made from Ruby rough of exceptional quality. The eagle is portrayed in full flight, its wings outstretched, and features a beak and talons cast in 18K Yellow Gold. The sculpture is one of many lapidary art treasures in the auction, an array that also includes, but is not limited to:   • A Marra Mamba Tiger’s-Eye Sphere from Australia   • A Backgammon Set with Board and Pieces, also from Australia, with highly polished slabs of Arizona Petrified Wood, an interior of Australian Tiger’s-Eye and game pieces of black and white Nephrite   • A Smoky Quartz on a Bronze Base from Brazil The auction features an exceptional array of minerals among its offerings, including a Tourmaline with Albite & Lepidolite dubbed “The Ice Cream Cone” for the frosted white cluster of bladed Albite crystals that represent a tasty frozen treat while perched atop the large, green Tourmaline crystal and dusted with lilac Lepidolite. Specimens of this caliber seldom are recovered intact from modern pegmatite workings, and the piece offered here embodies both geological significance and sculptural beauty, epitomizing the balance of strength and elegance for which the finest Brazilian pegmatite minerals are celebrated, making it a centerpiece for the connoisseur of fine mineralogy. Collectors hoping to make a big addition to their collection need look no further than a massive Uruguayan Amethyst Geode with Calcite Crystal. This behemoth tips the scales at nearly a ton — 1,933 pounds (877 kilograms) — and measures 44 inches (111.76 centimeters) in length. It features countless gem-quality Amethyst crystals around a superb Calcite crystal that stands 10 inches (25 centimeters) high. Geodes of this caliber originate within volcanic “vugs” — hollow cavities created by ancient gas bubbles within solidified lava. Over countless millennia, mineral-rich hydrothermal fluids percolated into these voids, depositing layers of Silica and Iron that crystalized under immense heat and pressure to form the Amethyst’s purple hue. Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/8237. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2 million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Steve Lansdale, Public Relations Specialist 214-409-1699 or SteveL@HA.com