Largest Stegosaurus Skeleton Sells for $44.6 Million at Auction

The largest and most complete Stegosaurus skeleton, named Apex, was sold at auction for a record-breaking $44.6 million. Sotheby's had expected a sale price of $4-6 million, but the bidding quickly escalated due to numerous telephone bidders.

Apex stands over 11 feet tall and is approximately 27 feet long, making it the most complete and well-preserved Stegosaurus specimen of its size. Out of the estimated 319 dinosaur bones, 254 were found and preserved.

Stegosaurus, meaning 'roof lizard,' refers to the dinosaur's distinctive, roof-like bone plates. While dinosaur skeletons have been sold in previous years, this sale sets a new record, surpassing the $31.8 million sale of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, named Stan.

The anonymous buyer intends to loan the skeleton to an American museum institution. The sale of scientifically valuable skeletons at auctions is controversial, as museums and research centers struggle to compete with the high auction prices.

The discovery of the Apex skeleton in 2022 near Dinosaur Monument in Colorado, close to the Utah border, adds to the growing collection of dinosaur fossils.