Handbag from alleged T-Rex skin cells fails to sell at auction

A handbag purported to be crafted from reconstructed Tyrannosaurus Rex skin cells failed to find a buyer at auction in Paris after its highest bid fell significantly short of the reserve price.

The auction house Drouot announced on Thursday evening that the highest offer for the dinosaur-skin handbag was only 150,000 euros. This was substantially less than the minimum price of 300,000 euros, leading to the cancellation of the sale.

The bag, a simple black design, was previously showcased in Amsterdam. According to the auction house, the material was derived from collagen remnants sourced from a T-Rex thigh bone discovered in Montana 25 years ago. Paleontologist Iacopo Briano, involved in the auction, stated that advancements in biotechnology allowed for the development of cell cultures to create genuine T-Rex skin in a laboratory setting, resulting in a bag made from an animal extinct for 67 million years.

However, the claim of T-Rex leather has been disputed. American paleontologist Mary Schweitzer questioned the authenticity, noting that collagen is a generic molecule found in many animals. Drouot had promoted the handbag as an "unprecedented luxury object" and suggested the scientific process could lead to leather bags without harming animals.