The skeleton of the Stegosaurus, named “Apex,” has become the most expensive fossil ever sold at auction, fetching a staggering $44.6 million in New York, USA.
According to information from the auction house Sotheby’s, this fossil was purchased by an anonymous buyer after attracting the interest of seven bidders.
Stegosaurus skeleton. (Photo: CNN).
“Apex” far exceeded the estimated price range of $4 million to $6 million before the auction. This fossil was discovered on private land in Moffat County, Colorado, by paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022. The skeleton is preserved in hard sandstone, which protects the bones from deformation.
Standing at 3.35 meters tall and nearly 8.23 meters long from head to tail, “Apex” consists of 254 fossilized bones, indicating that it was a large and powerful individual.
Despite significant commercial demand for “Apex”, some paleontologists believe that the fossil should be displayed in a museum rather than sold to private collectors.
Illustration of the Stegosaurus dinosaur. (Photo: GI).
Professor Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, stated that “Apex” is an important dinosaur fossil, especially since there are very few well-preserved Stegosaurus skeletons compared to other famous dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops.
Brusatte emphasized: “It is unfortunate that a fossil like this, which could educate and spark curiosity in many people, is disappearing into the mansion of a tycoon.” He hopes that those financially capable of purchasing the fossil will donate it to a museum.
Sotheby’s reported that the buyer of “Apex” intends to loan the fossil to an organization in the US. The anonymous buyer remarked: “Apex was born in America and will stay in America.”
This is not the first time a dinosaur fossil has been auctioned to private collectors. In 1997, Sotheby’s sold “Sue,” a T. rex skeleton, for $8.4 million. In 2020, another T. rex skeleton named “Stan” was sold for $31.8 million.
