DALLAS, TX.- A wide-ranging selection of fossil and scientific discoveries — from the world's first microchip to a $200,000 Triceratops skull — highlights Heritage Auctions' Nature & Science Auction Nov. 4 in Dallas, Texas.

Collectors will have a chance to acquire prototypes of the item that essentially is the foundation upon which the computing industry is built, and which made laptops and smartphones a daily staple for millions, when an Early Microchip Prototype (est. $400,000-600,000) goes up for auction Nov. 4 at Heritage Auctions' Nature & Science Auction in Dallas.

A groundbreaking step in the evolution of modern computing is available in the form of an Early Microchip Prototype (est. $400,000-600,000). The precursor to the integrated circuit, this chip is a significant part of the foundation of the technology that runs modern computers and smartphones.

One lot that will dominate any room, captivate viewers and start countless conversations is a Triceratops Skull (est. $200,000-300,000) Late Cretaceous, from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. A sure cornerstone to any science and nature collection, Triceratops joins Tyrannosaurus Rex among the most recognizable and iconic of all dinosaurs, largely because of its distinct skull structure. With its two large horns and huge frill, this example is a rarity that is sure to generate intense pursuit and bidding.

Gold may be the most universally accepted measure of excellence in any number of areas (gold stars for students, Olympic gold medals, etc.). This auction offers several exceptional gold samples, a group headlined by two – a Gold Nugget (est. $200,000-300,000) from Victoria, Australia, and Crystalline Gold (est. $200,000-300,000) from the Sixteen-to-One Mine in the Alleghany District of Sierra County in California – that stand out because of their quality and sheer size.

A Dimetrodon (Pelycosaur) Skeleton (est. $150,000-200,000) Early Permian, from the Moran Formation in Archer County, Texas, is from one of the fiercest creatures ever to roam the planet. Measuring just 60 inches in length, the Dimetrodon was an apex predator about 100 million years before the evolution of dinosaurs. The primitive synapsid belonged to the group known as pelycosaurs, which had differentiated teeth and had developed a hard palate, and is highlighted by the prominent "sail" on its back, consisting of elongated vertebral spines.

Another lot sure to grab attention is an extraordinary Pair of Woolly Mammoth Tusks (est. $150,000-200,000), Pleistocene, from Alaska. A single tusk in this condition is a rarity, but a pair of this quality represents a singular opportunity for collectors. The massive tusks are Ice Age fossils from a bull (male) and are in excellent condition, are off-white with hints of light brown and are nearly identical in size, weight and shape.

A Megalodon Shark Jaw Reconstruction (est. $50,000-70,000), Miocene, from St. Mary's River in Georgia taps into people's widely shared fear of sharks. The Megalodon represented by this reconstruction was much larger than the great white shark, the largest predatory shark alive today. Because sharks are cartilaginous and lack bony internal skeletons, the teeth – which in this lot are bigger than those from the great white shark – usually are the only part of sharks that are preserved, meaning any jaw featuring rows of the famous teeth almost certainly is a reconstruction. This offering shows 150 authentic fossilized Megalodon teeth, which range in size from one to four inches, in a reconstructed jaw made of fiberglass resin.

Other top lots are expected to include, but are not limited to:

· An Azurite (est. $40,000-60,000) from the Czar Shaft of Copper Queen Mine (Halero Mine) in Queen Hill, Bisbee, in the Warren District, Mule Mountains in Cochise County, Arizona

· A Henbury Meteorite (est. $20,000-25,000) from the Northern Territory in Australia

· A Seymchan Meteorite Sphere (est. $15,000-25,000) from Magadanskaya Oblast, Russia

· A 23.79-Carat Tanzanite Gemstone (est. $12,000-18,000) from the Lelatema Mountains in the Arusha Region of Tanzania

· A Von Frey Sphygmograph (est. $5,000-7,000) – the precursor to the modern EKG machine – from Leipzig, Germany

· A Petrified Conifer Tabletop (est. $5,000-7,000) from the Chinle Formation in Arizona