US customs officials seize dinosaur skull in Wyo.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) – U.S. customs officials have seized a dinosaur skull from a Jackson home as part of a federal Homeland Security Department investigation.

The Tyrannosaurus bataar skull, also known as the tarbosaurus, is estimated to be worth between $250,000 and $400,000.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that federal officials have declined to provide any details about the case, saying it remains under investigation.

The tarbosaurus is an Asian species that lived about 70 million years ago. It's closely related to Tyrannosaurus rex.

Federal officials recently seized a nearly complete tarbosaurus skeleton that was sold at auction in New York and arrested a Florida man for illegally importing dinosaur fossils.

It's unclear whether there's any connection between the Jackson skull and the New York case.

___

Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-12-03-12 1637GMT