The largest assembled skeleton of a Stegosaurus, discovered in 2022 in Colorado, will be sold at an upcoming Sotheby's auction next week in New York, a move that is likely to frustrate paleontologists. This Stegosaurus skeleton, unveiled on Wednesday ahead of its auction on July 17, is noted for its good preservation and the spiked plates on its back. It dates back 150 million years, stands 3.3 meters tall, and is six meters long. The skeleton comprises 254 fossils out of a total of 319, including a thigh bone approximately 1.10 meters long.
Cassandra Hatton, head of the department of science and popular culture at Sotheby's, told AFP that "Apex," the name given to this dinosaur, is "a very rare animal, and it is exceptional to find a Stegosaurus skeleton of this size and completeness." The auction house has set an estimated price for the skeleton between 4 and 6 million dollars, which is among the highest in the market, although it remains far from the record sum of 31.8 million dollars achieved in 2020 in New York from the sale of a Tyrannosaurus rex.
The "Apex" skeleton was discovered in May 2022 on land owned by renowned paleontologist Jason Cooper; Sotheby's states it has worked with him from the beginning to organize this auction, ensuring "transparency" according to the company. In 2022, Christie’s auction house canceled the sale of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in Hong Kong due to doubts surrounding the authenticity of the fossil.
Such auctions have multiplied in recent years, sparking controversy and frustration among paleontologists who believe that selling them limits the opportunities for display in museums and their availability for scientific research. There are Stegosaurus skeletons displayed around the world, but "Apex" is 30% larger than "Sophie," the most complete skeleton available for public display, according to Sotheby's. Cassandra Hatton stated, “It’s a discussion we hear a lot, but most of the people I work with donate or lend their specimens to museums because they understand their importance.” According to Sotheby's, Cooper has previously donated "a large number" of specimens to institutions "around the world."
