Current:Home > NewsStegosaurus sells for almost $45 million at Sotheby's auction, the most for any dinosaur fossil-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Stegosaurus sells for almost $45 million at Sotheby's auction, the most for any dinosaur fossil
View Date:2024-12-24 00:24:31
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! (74824)
Related
- Brush fire erupts in Brooklyn's iconic Prospect Park amid prolonged drought
- Tech consultant spars with the prosecutor over details of the death of Cash App founder Bob Lee
- Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
- Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
- Veterans Day restaurant deals 2024: More than 80 discounts, including free meals
- 'Wanted' posters plastered around University of Rochester target Jewish faculty members
- Food prices worried most voters, but Trump’s plans likely won’t lower their grocery bills
- New York races to revive Manhattan tolls intended to fight traffic before Trump can block them
- Taylor Swift touches down in Kansas City as Chiefs take on Denver Broncos
- Bankruptcy judge questioned Shilo Sanders' no-show at previous trial
Ranking
- Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
- NFL Week 11 picks straight up and against spread: Will Bills hand Chiefs first loss of season?
- West Virginia expands education savings account program for military families
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views
- 'Serial swatter': 18-year-old pleads guilty to making nearly 400 bomb threats, mass shooting calls
- Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
Recommendation
-
Michael Grimm, former House member convicted of tax fraud, is paralyzed in fall from horse
-
More than 150 pronghorns hit, killed on Colorado roads as animals sought shelter from snow
-
FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
-
Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 13 drawing: Jackpot rises to $113 million
-
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson weighs in on report that he would 'pee in a bottle' on set
-
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to kick off fundraising effort for Ohio women’s suffrage monument
-
Are Dancing with the Stars’ Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber Living Together? She Says…
-
Advocacy group sues Tennessee over racial requirements for medical boards