According to information from auction house Sotheby's, the fossil was purchased by an anonymous buyer after attracting the interest of seven bidders.
Stegosaurus dinosaur skeleton. Photo: CNN
“Apex” far exceeded its pre-auction estimate of between $4 million and $6 million. The fossil was discovered on private land in Moffat County, Colorado, by paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022. The skeleton was preserved in hard sandstone, which protected the bones from deformation.
Standing 3.35 metres tall and measuring nearly 8.23 metres long from head to tail, "Apex" consists of 254 fossilised bone fragments, suggesting it was a large and powerful individual.
Despite the large commercial demand for "Apex", some paleontologists believe the fossil should be displayed in museums rather than sold to private collectors.
Simulated image of the Stegosaurus dinosaur. Photo: GI
Professor Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, said that "Apex" is an important dinosaur fossil, especially because there are few better Stegosaurus skeletons than other famous dinosaurs such as T-rex and Triceratops.
"It is a pity that a fossil like this, which could educate and arouse the curiosity of many people, disappeared into the villa of a tycoon," Brusatte stressed. He hoped that those who had the financial ability to buy the fossil would donate it to the museum.
Sotheby's said the buyer "Apex" intends to loan the fossil to an institution in the US. The unnamed buyer said: "Apex was born in America and will stay in America."
This isn't the first time dinosaur fossils have been auctioned off to commercial collectors. In 1997, Sotheby's sold "Sue," a T-rex skeleton, for $8.4 million. In 2020, another T-rex skeleton called "Stan" sold for $31.8 million.
Hong Hanh (according to CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bo-xuong-khung-long-stegosaurus-duoc-ban-voi-gia-ky-luc-446-trieu-usd-post304095.html
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