Rare U.S. saber-toothed tiger skeleton up for auction

The skeleton of a 37 million year-old saber-toothed tiger hoplophoneus primaveus is seen during an auction preview at Piguet Auction House in Geneva, Switzerland December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Cecile Mantovani

GENEVA (Reuters) - A rare skeleton of a saber-toothed tiger which roamed the northern United States some 37 million years ago is estimated to fetch 60-80,000 Swiss francs (48,388 - 66,999 pounds)next week, auction house Piguet said on Tuesday.

The fossilized skeleton, discovered in South Dakota, is that of a robust Hoplophoneus weighing about 160 kilograms (350lb) which hunted primitive horses and small rhinoceros.