The Stegosaurus Skeleton ‘Apex’ Just Sold for a Record $45 Million at Auction

The stegosaurus “Apex” now represents the pinnacle of paleontological discoveries.

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The skeleton hammered down for a record $44.6 million at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, becoming the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction. Apex was originally expected to achieve between $4.9 million and $7.4 million but sold for six times the high estimate at the live sale in New York. Seven enthusiastic bidders battled it out before one anonymous buyer finally snapped up the lot to resounding applause. The new owner is considering loaning the specimen out to a U.S. institution.

“Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America,” the buyer remarked following the sale.

The four-legged herbivore, which measures 11 feet tall and 27 feet long, ranks high among the most complete skeletons ever found, according to Sotheby’s. It was discovered by chance by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022 at his property in the aptly named town of Dinosaur in Colorado. He christened the stegosaurus Apex because its enormous size would have made it a dominant dino in the late Jurassic period (between 145 million and 160 million years ago).

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Sotheby’s specialist Cassandra Hatton worked closely with Cooper from the day of discovery to document the entire process, from excavation and restoration to preparation and mounting. The auction house adds that the specimen was handled “with the highest standards,” meaning that other rarities such as fossilized skin impressions and ossicles (throat armor) could be sold with Apex. Sotheby’s claims this is the first time an auction house has been involved throughout the entire process.

It is certainly not the first time Sotheby’s has sold a dinosaur skeleton, of course: Tyrannosaurus rex “Sue” notably achieved $8.4 million at the auction house in 1997. Fellow T.rex “Stan” realized a record $31.8 million at Christie’s in 2020, cementing itself as the most expensive dinosaur skeleton at the time. Apex took that title from Stan on Wednesday, though.

Dinosaur skeletons have become slightly contentious yet highly coveted collectibles , with prices for specimens skyrocketing over the past 25 years. Only last week, Parisian auction houses Collin Du Bocage and Barbarossa announced that Apatosaurus “Vulcain” is expected to fetch between $3.3 million and $5.4 million (€3 million and €5 million) at a November sale.

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