Apex: Largest stegosaurus skeleton ever found to fetch millions at auction
Al Jazeera
Sale of the 150-million-year-old fossil could draw criticism from scientists who want them to be preserved in museums.
The largest and most complete stegosaurus ever found is up for auction in New York next week and is expected to fetch up to $6m.
Named Apex, the 150-million-year-old skeleton – 11 feet (3.3 metres) tall and nearly 27 feet (8.2 metres) long – was put on display at Sotheby’s on Wednesday and will be exhibited until its sale on July 17.
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture, underlined the rarity of the find. “This is between 79 and 85 percent fossil,” she said.
“If you find half of a dinosaur, that’s considered a significant scientific discovery. Sixty percent is incredible, and once you’re getting to 70, 80 percent, the whole world pays attention.”
Bidding is likely to be brisk, with the auction house estimating Apex’s value at $4-6m. Such sales of coveted dinosaur fossils have drawn criticism from the scientific community, which says finds should be preserved in museums or other public spaces and not sold to private bidders.
