Most intact stegosaurus fossil sold for record $44.6m at auction

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The largest skeletal remains uncovered yet of a Stegosaurus was sold for $44.6m on Wednesday at Sotheby’s in New York, setting record as the most valuable dinosaur fossil ever auctioned.

The 161-million-year-old fossil dinosaur dubbed “Apex,” measuring about 3.4m (11ft) tall and 8.2m (27ft) long, is among the most complete ever found.

Stegosaurs are one of the most distinctive dinosaurs, identified by their pointy dorsal plates and fearsome tail spikes.

It blew past pre-auction estimates of $4m to $6m to sell close to $45m, exceeding expectations by over 11 times.

The previous record for the highest-priced dinosaur fossil sold at an auction was held by a T rex whose remains were sold in 2020.

Palaeontologist Jason Cooper discovered the remains on his privately owned land in Moffat County, Colorado, near the fittingly-named town of Dinosaur in 2022.

The stegosaurus seems to have lived long enough to show signs of arthritis, experts say.

Its intact remains without any signs of postmortem scavenging suggest the dinosaur did not have any combat-related injuries.

Preserved in hard sandstone, the skeletal remains were protected from any distortion.

It was found “with the tail curled up underneath the body, which is a common death pose for animals”.

The specimen that was auctioned off has 254 fossil bone elements with additional 3D printed and sculpted elements.

“Judging from the overall size and degree of the bone development it can be determined that the skeleton belonged to a large, robust adult individual, and evidence of arthritis, particularly notable in the fusion of the 4 sacral vertebrae, would indicate that it lived to an advanced age,” Sotheby’s said.

“The specimen was meticulously prepared to the highest standards, showcasing the fossils’ natural beauty and preserving important contextual information, including fossilized skin impressions, and three ossicles (throat armor), which are offered along with the specimen,” the company added.

Apex “has now taken its place in history, some 150 million years since it roamed the planet”, Cassandra Hatton, who heads Sotheby’s science-related business said.

The buyer, who beat out six other bidders, remains anonymous, but they intend to loan Apex to an institution in the US, according to the Associated Press.