A 150-million-year-old Stegosaurus fossil, billed as one of the finest and most complete dinosaur skeletons ever discovered, just sold for a whopping $44.6 million -- making it the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.
The fossil, dubbed "Apex" by the paleontologist who discovered it, was only projected to fetch between $4 and $6 million -- nowhere near its final price, according to Sotheby's.
"Apex was chased by seven bidders during Sotheby's live auction in New York, eventually selling to an anonymous buyer, who intends to explore loaning the specimen to a U.S. institution," the auctioneer said. "Following the sale, the buyer remarked: 'Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America!'"
The Stegosaurus is the best known member of the armored dinosaurs (Thyreophorans), characterized by the distinctive shape and arrangement of dermal armor on its back, extending from the neck to the tail.
Apex was discovered in May 2022 by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper at his property in Moffat County, Colorado, near the town of Dinosaur.
"This region is the richest source of dinosaur fossils in the United States due to its location in the Morrison Formation, a sequence of Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock centered in the states of Colorado and Wyoming," Sotheby's said. "Found alone, with no other fossils nearby, Apex represents fossils from one Stegosaurus."
Apex ranks high among the most complete skeletons ever found, Sotheby's said. It is "virtually complete," with 254 fossil bone elements of an approximate total of 319.
Measuring 11 feet tall and 20 feet long, the skeleton belonged to a large, robust adult individual and is more than 30% larger than "Sophie," the previously most intact Stegosaurus specimen. Apex shows no signs of combat or predation-related injuries; however, evidence of arthritis indicates that it lived to an advanced age, according to Sotheby's.
"Overall, the bones are preserved in exquisite detail, exhibiting little distortion, and retaining much of their original shape and surface characteristics. The fossilization is superb, with even small, delicate bones being preserved in fine detail," the auction house said.
Apex's $44.6 price surpassed "Sue," the first-ever dinosaur to be sold at auction, which achieved $8.4M in 1997 and "Stan" which achieved $31.8M in 2020 at Christie's. Both are Tyrannosaurus rexes.