CNN
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A stegosaurus skeleton described as the “most complete and best preserved” of its species ever discovered is expected to fetch $6 million at auction this summer – but not everyone is happy about it.
An “exceptional” and “virtually complete” dinosaur fossil, 11 feet tall and 20 feet long, will be sold as part of Sotheby’s annual Geek Week.
Paleontologists have questioned the sale of such specimens to private bidders, arguing that these finds should be kept in museums or other public places.
However, this will not prevent the auction of the 150-million-year-old fossil in New York on July 17.
Apex, as it has been nicknamed, is “the best specimen of Stegosaurus to come to market,” Sotheby’s said in a press release Wednesday. It is expected to fetch between $4 million and $6 million, making it one of the most valuable dinosaur fossils ever offered for sale, the auction house added.
Characterized by its distinctive shape, the Stegosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur with a tiny head and bony plates running down its back, ending in a pointed tail.
A commercial paleontologist named Jason Cooper excavated Apex on his private land in Colorado, and Sotheby’s said he was involved in the process from the start.
The auction house worked closely with Cooper “document the entire process, from discovery and excavation to restoration, preparation and assembly, ensuring that the documentation and sale of the specimen takes place according to the highest standards and transparency.”
This collaboration, it says, “continues Sotheby’s legacy of pioneering natural history auctions.”
Sotheby’s
The fossil, named Apex, was discovered by a commercial paleontologist on his private land in Colorado.
Some, however, see it differently.
Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, described the specimen as “an important dinosaur fossil,” especially because it has “far fewer good skeletons (of Stegosaurus) than other known dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops.”
That, according to Brusatte, is part of the reason why it shouldn’t end up in private hands.
“If what the auction house says is true, and what I see in these photos is authentic, then this skeleton really belongs in a museum, where it can be preserved, studied by scientists and put on display to inspire people from all walks of life,” he said in in an email to CNN on Thursday.
“It is a great pity when a fossil like this, which could educate and arouse the curiosity of so many people, simply disappears in the villa of an oligarch.”
“Apex” was discovered in the Morrison Formation in Moffat County, Colorado — and very conveniently near Dinosaur City — in May 2022. It took more than a year to fully excavate the specimen, which was found to have evidence of arthritis, suggesting that lived to an advanced age, with no signs of injuries related to combat or predation.
The highest bidder will receive a copy of the dinosaur scan data, plus a full license to use any 3D data however they wish. This, according to Sotheby’s, “will allow primary information about the dinosaur to remain with the specimen and promote collaboration in future research and education.”
Sotheby’s
The specimen showed no signs of injury, but there was evidence of arthritis, suggesting that the dinosaur lived to a very old age.
Brusatte, however, argued that research and education would be best served if the fossil were owned by an institution with dinosaur expertise.
“The uber-rich will always be able to offer more than a museum when a dinosaur is sold on the open market, so I hope that if there is someone who has the means to buy a fossil like this, and this fossil captures their imagination, they will donate it to the museum,” Brusatte said.
“What a legacy that would be – to have your dinosaur on public display, to have your name illuminated as a donor who saved a dinosaur for science, while children and families walk around and stare at this fantastic prehistoric creature.”
London’s Natural History Museum is home to “Sophie,” a comparable fossil — though “Apex” is at least 30% larger, according to Sotheby’s.
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s head of global science and popular culture, described Apex as “simply one of the best fossils of its kind ever excavated.”
Visitors to Sotheby’s galleries in New York will be able to see Apex as part of a free exhibition of some of the items on sale during Geek Week.
Sotheby’s “legacy of pioneering natural history auctions,” as it calls itself, includes the sale of an ancient gorgosaurus skeleton in 2022, which sold for just over $6 million. He also sold the first standalone T Rex skull with “Maximus” in December 2022.
Stan, the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, set a new world record in 2020 when it sold for $31.8 million at Christie’s. At the time of the sale, paleontologists feared the fossil was lost to science, but in March, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism revealed plans to make Stan the star attraction at a new natural history museum expected to open in Abu Dhabi in 2025, CNN reported. previously published.
