NEW YORK - TENS of millions of years have passed since they roamed Earth, but two dinosaurs rampaged through a New York auction house on Monday, selling at near double the pre-sale estimates.

A giant Triceratops skull 1.7m-long and with eye sockets the size of dinner plates - sold at Bonhams' Natural History auction for US$242,000 (S$348,817).

A skull from an Alioramus remotus, cousin of the notoriously fierce T-Rex, went for US$206,000.

The skull, bristling with long teeth, was tiny compared to the gaping Triceratops head, but sold at a premium because of its rarity, said Bonhams' spokesman Staci Smith.

The two skulls had been estimated to go for between US$120,000-US$125,000 and US$120,000-US$140,000 respectively.

Ms Smith said typical buyers for pricey bones often include private collectors looking to spruce up their home decor.

'The Triceratops skull, it actually looks lovely. It looks like a sculpture,' Ms Smith said.

There is a hitch, though.

'You'd have to have an extremely large living room.' -- AFP