World's most valuable fossil ever 'Apex' the Stegosaurus sold for THIS much at an auction
'Apex' the Stegosaurus
'Apex' the Stegosaurus, has become the most valuable fossil ever sold at an auction. A towering dinosaur fossil standing at 11 feet (3.35 metres) tall, 20 feet (6.1 metres) long and boasting an impressive femur length of 45 inches (1.14 meters) on Wednesday (July 17) was sold for a record-breaking price of $44.6 million. The sale has been made by Sotheby's New York.
A collaborative effort
This is the first time an auction house has been involved in bringing a dinosaur specimen to market right from its discovery.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Sotheby wrote: "#AuctionUpdate: The finest Stegosaurus specimen ever found—named "APEX"—sold today at Sotheby's New York for a record-breaking $44.6 million, making it the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction."
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Sotheby's collaborated closely with the fossil's owner, commercial palaeontologist Jason Cooper, to chronicle every stage of Apex's journey—from its initial discovery and excavation to its restoration, preparation, and final mounting.
About the Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur, lived around 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. The mammoth dinosaurs are known for their distinctive dental armour that runs from their neck to tail.
Apex, a particularly well-preserved specimen, is 70 per cent complete. It is the largest, most Stegosaurus ever found.
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It has no signs of combat or predation-related injuries, which suggests that it lived a peaceful life.
"It was around other Stegosauruses. It had a good relationship with other Stegosauruses. It lived a long life and likely died of old age," said Sotheby's Global Head of Science and Popular Culture, Cassandra Hatton.
However, it does exhibit signs of arthritis that point to signs that it lived to an advanced age, which marks it as a singular specimen of its kind.
(With inputs from agencies)
