A huge dinosaur skeleton, called Apex, was sold for a record $44.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City, making it the most expensive fossil ever sold.
Apex, a plant-eating stegosaurus, is 11 feet tall and 27 feet long, and is one of the most complete skeletons ever found. The skeleton was bought by an anonymous buyer who hinted it might stay in the US, possibly loaned to a US institution.
Apex was discovered by a paleontologist in 2022 near the town of Dinosaur in Colorado. Sotheby’s said it is the finest stegosaurus ever sold at auction.
The sale took place with applause after 15 minutes of bidding from seven buyers. Jason Cooper, a professional fossil hunter, found Apex and named it for its impressive size, indicating it was a dominant animal in its time.
Apex lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period. The previous record for a dinosaur fossil sale was in 2020 when a T-Rex named Stan was sold for $31.8 million.
This story comes from the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0358njg6z6o