Sotheby's auction house in New York is gearing up to auction off the nearly complete fossilized remains of a 161-million-year-old stegosaurus discovered in Colorado in 2022. The dinosaur, named Apex, stands at an impressive 11 feet tall and measures 27 feet from nose to tail, making it a remarkable specimen in the world of paleontology.
The stegosaurus is easily recognizable by its distinctive pointy dorsal plates, which have made it one of the most iconic dinosaurs known to mankind. The fossil was unearthed in May 2022 on private land near Dinosaur, Colorado, and the excavation process was completed in October 2023.
Despite the common belief that stegosauruses used their tail spikes for combat, this particular specimen, Apex, shows no signs of such activity. However, evidence of arthritis found in the fossil suggests that the dinosaur lived to an advanced age, providing valuable insights into the life of these ancient creatures.
Describing Apex as a 'coloring book dinosaur,' Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture highlighted that the fossil was found in a common death pose with its tail curled up underneath the body. This unique positioning adds to the intrigue surrounding this remarkable discovery.
The stegosaurus will be up for auction on July 17 as part of Sotheby's 'Geek Week' series, with the auction house estimating a selling price of $4 million to $6 million for this extraordinary piece of natural history.
