Stingray fails to attract buyer

The stingray is a species from Hjoula in Lebanon

A 100 million-year-old stingray fossil failed to sell when it went under the hammer in Edinburgh.

The fossil, valued at £10,000, was up for auction at Lyon and Turnbull's Auction House as part of the first Scottish sale of fossils and minerals.

The 2ft-long fossil is the same species of fish which killed crocodile hunter Steve Irwin earlier this month.

Irwin, 44, was killed on 4 September when the barb of a stingray pierced his chest while on the Great Barrier Reef.

The stingray is part of an extensive collection owned by Dale Rogers, who has travelled the world looking for rare and beautiful fossils.

These beautiful objects are not meant to lie on dusty shelves in a museum Dale Rogers The Stingray fossil owner

It is a species from Hjoula, Lebanon, and dates from the Cretaceous period.

Mr Rogers' collection also includes opalised dinosaur bone material, crystals and minerals.

He said: "These beautiful objects are not meant to lie on dusty shelves in a museum.

"They are not the most rare fossils in the world, but they are stunning works of art produced by mother nature herself."

Campbell Armour, director of auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, which is conducting the sale, said: "These are truly beautiful objects and would make a stunning work of art in your home."

Other items for sale include meteorites from Siberia, fire opals from Mexico and a slice of agate from Brazil.