THE world’s largest triceratops skeleton sold at auction for US$7.7 million Thursday.

The skeleton, known as “Big John,” had been expected to fetch between US$1.4 million and US$1.7 million, FOX Business previously reported.

The dinosaur skeleton was sold to a private U.S. buyer at the Drouot auction house in Paris. The buyer requested to remain anonymous.

Djuan Rivers, a representative for the buyer, said the buyer is “absolutely thrilled with the idea of being able to bring a piece like this to his personal use.”

“The history behind this and the duration of it is absolutely impressive. So to be able to be a part of preserving something of this nature ... it’s also something extremely special,” Rivers added.

“Big John” is estimated to be more than 66 million years old and was found in 2014 in South Dakota. The skeleton is named after the owner of the land where it was found and is certified as the largest documented triceratops skeleton by the Guinness World Records.

The skeleton is unique because it is more than 60 percent complete and its skull is more than 75 percent complete.

“The overall quality of ‘Big John’ really deserved this price,” Iacopo Briano, a paleontology expert, said. “For a triceratops and for an herbivore. This is [an] unbelievable record.”

Last year, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton reached almost US$32 million in an auction in New York, becoming the most expensive dinosaur ever sold.

“Big John” is 23 feet (701 centimeters) long and stands 8 feet high at the hip. Its skull is more than one-third of its total length at 3.6 feet. (SD-Agencies)