We are far ahead of the Jurassic era, but don't let that stop you from having a dinosaur. The skeletons of an allosaurus and a diplodocus are up for auction in Paris this week. For those with huge living rooms, these skeletal remains will be a hip interior design object. This time there will be just two of the rare objects on sale.

Talking about the display of things from the pre-historic times, an Italian expert told AFP that dinosaurs are considered cool and hippy these days. You are sure to have heard even little kids talk about the extinct animals at length. Dinosaur mechandise is quite a hit among primary schoolgoers.

The expert said, "Dinosaurs have become cool, trendy -- real objects of decoration, like paintings." He added that Hollywood actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicolas Cage are also fans of such prehistoric ornaments.

Cage had earlier returned a rare skull of a tyrannosaurus bataar, a close cousin of T. rex, after it was found to have been stolen and illegally taken out of Mongolia. He had bought the rare remains in 2007.

Iacopo Briano of Binoche et Giquello, the auction house that is putting the two dinosaurs said, "The fossil market is no longer just for scientists. For the last two or three years the Chinese have become interested in palaeontology and have been looking for big specimens of dinosaurs found on their soil, for their museums or even for individuals."

Dinosaur bones have in the recent times become a cool thing to have in possession of antiques. The report states that a huge skeleton, that of a theropod to be auctioned in June is expected to fetch up to 1.5 million euros ($1.84 million) when it goes up for auction in June.

The allosaurus which goes on sale is 3.8 metres long and expected to fetch up to 650,000 euros. While the diplodocus has a guide price of 450,000 to 500,000 euros. Carnivores often fetch more than herbivores. The price goes up if the skeleton has signs of a fight or an incurable illness, as well as if it is considered rare.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 10, 2018 04:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).