In a remarkable auction event at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, the nearly complete, well-preserved fossil of a 150 million-year-old Stegosaurus, known as “Apex,” fetched an astounding $44.6 million.
READ: Navigating Amsterdam’s Waterways: A Canal Cruise Experience
Apex
This figure far exceeded the initial estimate of $4 million to $6 million, with the anonymous American buyer outbidding six other contenders. There are plans to potentially loan the specimen to a US institution.
This sale not only shattered expectations but also broke the previous auction record for dinosaur fossils, set in 2020 when the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton named Stan sold for $31.8 million. Cassandra Hatton, head of Sotheby’s science-related business, highlighted the significance of Apex’s sale, remarking, “Apex has now secured its place in history, 150 million years after it roamed the planet.”
However, the auctioning of such fossils has sparked criticism from academic paleontologists, who argue that these specimens belong in museums or research centers that may lack the financial resources to compete with high auction prices.
