Prehistoric monster acquired by anonymous buyer
The largest and most intact stegosaurus fossil ever found sold for $44.6 million. The dinosaur remains, which are 3.4 meters high and 8.2 meters long, indicate that the prehistoric creature had arthritis.
The largest and most complete stegosaurus fossil ever discovered sold Wednesday at Sotheby's in New York for $44.6 million, becoming the most valuable fossil sold at auction.
Dinosaur remains awarded nicknamed «Apex», exceeded its low pre-sale estimate by more than 11 times, writes The Guardian.
It was discovered on private land in Moffat County, Colorado, near the town of Dinosaur, by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in his property in 2022.
“Apex” measures 3.4 meters tall and measures 8.2 meters from nose to tail, more than 30% longer than “Sophie,” the previously most intact stegosaur specimen that was on display at London's Natural History Museum. .
It was sold to an anonymous buyer who intends to consider donating the copy to a US institution. After the sale, the buyer remarked: “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America!”
Cassandra Hutton, Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture, said: “Today, Apex lives up to its name, inspiring bidders around the world to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.
“This sale has been years in the making, and we have worked closely with Jason Cooper every step of the way, from the opening in Dinosaur, Colorado to the sale in New York.
“I am delighted that such an important specimen has now taken its place in history, 150 million years after it roamed the planet. This remarkable result underlines our unwavering commitment to preserving these ancient treasures.”
Apex is one of the most complete skeletons ever found, with 254 fossilized bone elements out of an estimated 319 in total, The Guardian notes.
The skeleton belonged to a large, robust adult individual, according to Sotheby’s, and showed signs of rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting it had lived to an advanced age.
The specimen showed no signs of battle trauma or postmortem destruction, The Guardian notes.
The prehistoric creature’s skeleton was preserved in hard sandstone, which protected the bones from deformation.
Apex was the star attraction of Sotheby’s natural history auction, along with other lots including meteorites, minerals, gogoths and, for the first time, tools from the Paleolithic era.
The auction's total proceeds were $45.8 million, the highest ever for a natural history auction.