Stegosaurus Apex Dinosaur Skeleton Hits Record Price of $44.6 Million
NEW YORK/The skeleton of a dinosaur nicknamed Stegosaurus Apex was sold at auction in New York for 44.6 million dollarswhich increased its estimated price and made it the most valuable fossil in history, according to Sotheby’s.
The apex, which is about three meters high and six meters long, It was discovered two years ago in Colorado, USA, and was offered by an auction house with a starting price of between four and six million dollars as the “finest specimen” of this recognizable dinosaur that ever lived. 150 million years ago, at the end of the Jurassic period.
Sotheby’s indicated that the buyer of Apex is anonymous but mix to borrow the skeleton of the “American institution” and who, having won the bidding battle after about 15 minutes, declared: “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America.”
The skeleton of Apex, one of the most complete and best preserved dinosaurs, has surpassed a milestone reached StanComplete Tyrannosaurus Rex Sold in 2020 for 31.8 million at Christie’sTherefore, the trend of increasing interest and prices for these fossils at auction continues.
Sotheby’s, which sold the first dinosaur skeleton at auction in 1997 for $8.4 million, has been involved in the entire process since paleontologists discovered Apex. Jason Cooper prior to the sale, marking the first partnership of its kind.
The house said its specialist Cassandra Hutton documented the process, including excavation, restoration and “preservation of contextual information such as fossilised skin impressions and three small bones (throat armour)” that were sold along with the skeleton.
Apex has no signs of battle or damage caused by predatorsbut evidence of arthritis suggests he was of advanced age, according to the statement, which describes his “superb fossil” as preserving “delicate bones” such as fragile neck skin plates.
What could not be determined, according to the newspaper The newspaper “New York Times— is Apex’s gender, which may explain his genderless name.
A complete skeleton was recently sold at Christie’s GorgosaurusA relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex, it sold for more than six million dollars and also sold the king raptor’s skull for a similar price, while higher collections were achieved at Christie’s, a rival house.
At a Christie’s auction that held the record until now, a Deinonychus dinosaur skeleton sold this year for $12.4 million, though that was below the record for a fossil.