- A Stegosaurus fossil was sold for R810 million ($44.6 million) at a historic Sotheby’s auction.
- The fossil, named “Apex,” is the most expensive dinosaur skeleton ever sold.
- Discovered in Colorado, the fossil is 70% complete and significantly larger than other known Stegosaurus specimens.
Sotheby’s New York made headlines with the sale of a Stegosaurus fossil named “Apex,” which fetched a staggering R810 million ($44.6 million).
Sotheby’s posts historic auction with Stegosaurus fossil
This historic auction surpassed the previous record set by the T-Rex fossil “Stan,” which sold for $31.8 million in 2020. ‘Apex’, excavated in 2022 from Moffatt County, Colorado, was initially estimated to sell for around $6 million, but intense bidding pushed the final price to more than seven times that estimate.
The Stegosaurus fossil is remarkably 70% complete, measuring 11 feet tall and 20 feet long, making it a third larger than ‘Sophie,’ another well-known Stegosaurus fossil housed at the Natural History Museum in London.
The excavation, led by palaeontologist Jason Cooper, took place in the Dinosaur National Monument region, a hotspot for significant paleontological discoveries.
Sotheby’s has a long history of auctioning unique and important dinosaur fossils, with ‘Apex’ now taking a prominent place in that legacy.
The fossil’s sale included a detailed documentation process, from excavation and restoration to preparation and mounting, making it a highly sought-after item.
Facts about the Stegosaurus you probably didn’t know
Stegosaurus, whose name means “roof-lizard,” is one of the most recognisable dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic period.
Here are some intriguing facts about this iconic species:
- Physical Characteristics: Stegosaurus was a large, herbivorous dinosaur known for its distinctive kite-shaped plates along its back and spikes on its tail, known as a “thagomiser.” These features were likely used for defence against predators like Allosaurus.
- Size and Weight: The largest species, Stegosaurus ungulatus, could reach up to 7.5 metres (25 feet) in length and weigh over 5 metric tons (5.5 short tons).
- Diet: With its small head and short neck, Stegosaurus likely fed on low-lying plants, bushes, and shrubs.
- Brain Size: Often called the “dumbest dinosaur,” Stegosaurus had a very small brain relative to its body size, leading early scientists to believe it might have had a secondary brain to help control its movements.
- Historical Discoveries: The first Stegosaurus remains were identified during the “Bone Wars” by Othniel Charles Marsh at Dinosaur Ridge National Landmark. Initially, the skeletal remains were fragmentary, and it took many years for scientists to understand their true posture and plate arrangement.
- Cultural Impact: Stegosaurus has been a popular figure in media, appearing in films, on postal stamps, and other types of media, despite complete skeletons being rare in museum displays until the mid-20th century.
