The Apex fossil, a herbivorous stegosaurus famous for its dorsal plates and tail spines, measures 3.40 meters (10.2 feet) long and is over 8 meters (25 feet) long from nose to tail. Sotheby’s said it is one of the most complete skeletons ever discovered.
The identity of the person who purchased the fossil was not disclosed, but the statement included the following statements: “Apex was born in America and will remain in America.” This was interpreted as a sign that the fossil could be donated to a US institution.
Made History with Record Sales
Apex was surprisingly discovered by a paleontologist at the State of Colorado in 2022. According to the auction house, “The best-in-class stegosaurus fossil ever found, ‘Apex,’ sold for $44.6 million, making history as the most valuable fossil ever “sold at auction.”
The fossil fetched 11 times its pre-sale estimate. Seven bidders submitted bids at the auction. Apex was discovered by professional “fossil hunter” Jason Cooper.
Cooper named this fossil “Apex,” meaning “the tallest,” because it was quite large compared to its counterparts and the dinosaur was thought to have been dominant in its environment. Apex is estimated to have lived 150 million years ago.
The most valuable fossil before Apex was a T-Rex named Stan, which sold for $31.8 million in 2020.
