Current:Home > ContactStegosaurus sells for almost $45 million at Sotheby's auction, the most for any dinosaur fossil -EverVision Finance
Stegosaurus sells for almost $45 million at Sotheby's auction, the most for any dinosaur fossil
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-07 12:21:34
Sotheby's has auctioned off the skeleton of a stegosaurus named Apex, billed as "the finest for Stegosaurus to ever come to market," for almost $45 million, a record.
The sale price far exceeds the estimate of $4 million to $6 million that Sotheby's had assigned to the lot. Described as a mounted Stegosaurus skeleton, the exact sale price was $44.6 million, surpassing earlier sales records for dinosaur fossils.
Sotheby's, which said the auction closed Wednesday morning, did not immediately disclose the buyer's identity.
"'Apex' lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction," Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science & popular culture said in a statement following the sale.
"This sale has been years in the making, and at every turn, we have worked closely with Jason Cooper, from the moment of its discovery in Dinosaur, Colorado, to its sale in New York," she added, making reference to the paleontologist who discovered the specimen.
The iconic skeleton is approximately 161 million years old, according to Sotheby's, and measures 11 feet tall by nearly 27 feet long from nose to tail. According to the auction house's listing, Apex "is mounted in an aggressive attack pose on a custom steel armature."
It was excavated on private land in Moffat County, Colorado, near the town of Dinosaur, between 2022 and 2023.
The fossil of one of the world's most recognizable dinosaurs is nearly completely intact, according to Sotheby's. The fossil also shows signs of arthritis, suggesting that Apex lived a long life.
Apex is not the first dinosaur to sell at auction. In 1997, a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil sold for $8.4 million and in 2020, another T. rex skeleton fetched $32 million. Two years later, in 2022, Sothebys sold a Gorgosaurus skeleton for over $6 million.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report
- In:
- Sotheby's
- dinosaur
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.
veryGood! (46224)
Related
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- California State University student workers vote to unionize, creating largest such union in country
- Facing backlash over IVF ruling, Alabama lawmakers look for a fix
- The body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been handed over to his mother, aide says
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- My 8-year-old daughter got her first sleepover invite. There's no way she's going.
- Amy Schumer Shares Cushing Syndrome Diagnosis After Drawing Speculation Over Her Puffier Face
- Celebrity owl Flaco dies a year after becoming beloved by New York City for zoo escape
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Love Is Blind's Chelsea Reveals What She Said to Megan Fox After Controversial Comparison
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Celebrity owl Flaco dies a year after becoming beloved by New York City for zoo escape
- We celebrate Presidents' Day with Ray Romano, Rosie Perez, and more!
- Ruby Franke's Sister Speaks Out After YouTuber Is Sentenced to Prison for Child Abuse
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- The Second City, named for its Chicago location, opens an outpost in New York
- If You’re an ‘It’ Girl, This Is Everything You Need To Buy From Coach Outlet’s 75% off Clearance Sale
- Cellphone data cited in court filing raises questions about testimony on Fani Willis relationship
Recommendation
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Stolen memory card used as evidence as man convicted in slayings of 2 Alaska women
Seaplane crashes near PortMiami, all 7 passengers escape without injury, officials say
Small, nonthreatening balloon intercepted over Utah by NORAD
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
A search warrant reveals additional details about a nonbinary teen’s death in Oklahoma
Indiana shuts down Caitlin Clark. Masterpiece could be start of something special
Vigil held for nonbinary Oklahoma teenager who died following a school bathroom fight