Historic Stegosaurus Fossil 'Apex' Set for Auction at Sotheby's

The nearly complete fossilised remains of a 161-million-year-old stegosaurus named Apex, discovered in Colorado in 2022, will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York. Standing 11 feet tall and measuring 27 feet long, the dinosaur is expected to fetch between USD 4 million to USD 6 million.

The nearly complete fossilised remains of a 161-million-year-old stegosaurus unearthed in 2022 in Colorado are set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York next week, according to auction house officials.

The dinosaur, named Apex, stands 11 feet tall and stretches 27 feet from nose to tail. Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture, said that Apex is one of the world's most recognizable dinosaurs due to its distinctive pointy dorsal plates.

Discovered on private land near the town of Dinosaur, Colorado, in May 2022 and fully excavated by October 2023, the fossil shows evidence of arthritis, hinting that Apex lived to an advanced age. Hatton noted the tail was found curled under the body, a common death posture for such animals. Apex is expected to fetch between USD 4 million to USD 6 million, marking a rare auction of a stegosaurus of this caliber as part of Sotheby's 'Geek Week' event on July 17.

(With inputs from agencies.)