The biggest and most intact stegosaurus fossil ever discovered has sold for $44.6m at Sotheby’s auction in New York, making it the most ever paid for a fossil.
According to the auction house, the skeleton – which includes 254 fossilised bones – was expected to sell for between $4 million and $6 million but ended up reaching a sum around 10 times that amount.
The specimen was discovered on private land in north-west Colorado in May 2022 by palaeontologist Jason Cooper. Nicknamed 'Apex', the stegosaurus lived between 146 and 161 million years ago in the Late Jurassic Period.
Apex is 3.4 metres (11ft) tall and 8.2 metres (27ft) long – about the length of an orca. The skeleton consists of 254 bones (319 if you include those that are 3D printed or sculpted).
"Judging from the overall size and degree of the bone development it can be determined that the skeleton belonged to a large, robust adult individual," says Sotheby's on its website.
There is evidence that Apex had arthritis, "particularly notable in the fusion of the 4 sacral vertebrae, would indicate that it lived to an advanced age," explains the New York auction house.
"The specimen shows no signs of combat related injuries, or evidence of post-mortem scavenging, and exhibits a number of interesting pathologies."
Apex was sold to an anonymous buyer who said, “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America,” implying that they may loan the skeleton to a US institution.
It's not the first time the famous brokers have sold dinosaurs for large sums. In 1997, a tyrannosaurs rex skeleton known as 'Sue' sold at auction for $8.4 million, then in 2020, 'Stan', another tyrannosaurus rex, went for $31.8 million.
"Apex lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction," said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture.
“This sale has been years in the making, and at every turn, we have worked closely with Jason Cooper, from the moment of its discovery in Dinosaur, Colorado, to its sale in New York.
“I am thrilled that such an important specimen has now taken its place in history, 150m years since it roamed the planet. This remarkable result underscores our unwavering commitment to preserving these ancient treasures.”
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