Back in 2022, paleontologist Jason Cooper discovered what is believed to be the largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil in the world. Now, this fossil, named Apex, is set to be offered at an auction organized by Sotheby’s as part of their Geek Week event.
Apex stands at 11ft and is more than 20ft long. Found in Moffat County, Colorado, United States, it consists of 247 bones with missing parts being replaced with 3D-printed pieces. According to experts who examined the fossil, Apex lived to an old age and didn’t have any visible injuries.
Sotheby’s estimates that Apex’s fossil will fetch a price of between $4 million and $6 million when the bidding starts on July 17.
“This is an incredibly important discovery, and I don’t know of another stegosaurus that matches the size and quality of this one,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science and Popular Culture, said in a statement.
Stegosauruses were herbivorous dinosaurs who lived 155 and 145 million years ago. They are characterized by upright plates that go along their backs as well as spiked tails. So far, stegosaurus fossils have been discovered in the western parts of the United States and in Portugal.