Largest and Most Complete Stegosaurus Fossil Ever Discovered Sells for $44.6 Million at Auction

The largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil ever discovered was just sold for $44.6 million at an auction organized by auction house Sothesby’s. It was previously estimated that the fossil, nicknamed Apex, might fetch between $4 million and $6 million.

At 44.6 million, Apex fossil shattered the record for the most expensive fossil ever sold. The previous record was held by the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed Stan, which sold for $31.8 million in 2020.

Apex was discovered on private land in Moffat County, Colorado, in 2022 by paleontologist Jason Cooper. It consists of 254 bone elements from a total of 319. When put together, the fossil stands at 11 feet tall and is 27 feet long.

Seven bidders were engaged in an auction, with the winning bid coming from a bidder from the United States. The anonymous auction winner said it will explore the possibility of lending Apex fossils to U.S. institutions.

“Apex marks an incredibly important milestone, as simply one of the best fossils of its kind ever unearthed,” said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science & Popular Culture, in a statement. “Stegosaurus is one of the most universally recognizable dinosaur species, whose unmistakable silhouette has been a source of fascination and wonder for generations.”