The largest stegosaurus skeleton ever found is expected to fetch millions of dollars at auction in New York next week, a development likely to stir objections from paleontologists.

The fossil, estimated to be approximately 150 million years old, was put on display at Sotheby’s on Wednesday and will be exhibited there until its sale on July 17.

Named Apex, the giant skeleton—11 feet (3.3 meters) tall and nearly 27 feet long—is billed as “the most complete and best-preserved” stegosaurus specimen of its size, featuring 254 fossil bone elements of an approximate total of 319.

Such sales have become more frequent in recent years, drawing criticism from paleontologists who argue that these finds should be preserved in museums or other public spaces rather than sold to private bidders.

“It’s a very, very rare animal, and to find one of this size and this completeness is phenomenal,” Cassandra Hatton, head of science and popular culture at Sotheby’s, told AFP.

The auction house estimates Apex’s value at $4-6 million, although this is still less than Stan, the world’s most complete tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, which sold in 2020 for a record $31.8 million.

Apex was discovered in May 2022 on the private land of paleontologist Jason Cooper in Colorado. Sotheby’s says it has collaborated with Cooper to “document the entire process, from discovery and excavation to restoration, preparation, and mounting,” ensuring the “highest standards and transparency.”

Stegosaurus skeletons are already on display around the world, but according to Sotheby’s, Apex is 30 percent larger than Sophie, the most complete stegosaurus on public display to date, which is housed in the Natural History Museum in London.

“When you have a scientifically important specimen, the museums usually show up and find donors to bid on their behalf or they bid themselves,” Hatton noted. She emphasized that many involved in such sales often donate or loan specimens to museums, recognizing their significance. Sotheby’s also highlighted that Cooper has previously donated fossils to museums worldwide.

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