Most Expensive Dinosaur Fossil Ever Could Reveal Stegosaurus Secrets

image via New Scientist

December 19, 2024, 3:00 PM

• •The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction, a nearly complete Stegosaurus skeleton, has debuted on loan at the American Museum of Natural History.
• •The fossil, named Apex, is 11.5 feet tall and 27 feet long, and it died around 150 million years ago.
• •Scientists hope the specimen will help them answer some outstanding basic questions about Stegosaurus, such as what the massive, iconic back plates were good for.

The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction, a 150 million-year-old Stegosaurus nicknamed Apex, has gone on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The fossil, which was bought for a record-breaking $44.6 million last July, is one of the most complete and largest Stegosaurus specimens yet discovered. It is hoped that Apex will help scientists answer some outstanding basic questions about Stegosaurus, such as what the massive, iconic back plates were used for.

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