The 150-million-year-old fossil of Stegosaurus, which earlier this year became the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold, has been on display at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Stegosaurus, nicknamed Apex, will be available for public viewing for the next four years after billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin, who purchased the fossil for $44.6 million, decided to generously give it to museum officials. Later, a cast of the specimen will replace the fossil.
The impressive specimen was presented to journalists, photographers and museum staff and is expected to open to the public on Sunday (8 December).
“It’s one of those dinosaurs that every kid knows how to draw. It’s a unique opportunity to do something that simultaneously, I think, really resonates in the public imagination about dinosaurs, but also from a research standpoint, “Really a very special specimen to understand,” museum president Shawn M. Decatur was quoted by the NYT as saying.
“We hope our millions of visitors will be as amazed by Apex as we are.”
Commenting on lending the fossil, Mr Griffin said that Apex “provides a unique window into our planet’s distant past” and he is grateful the millions of visitors and researchers will be able to learn from the magnificent specimens at the museum.
“The joy and awe every child felt coloring Stegosaurus with their crayons will now come to life for millions of people who have the opportunity to see this epic dinosaur in person.”
This is not the first instance Mr Griffins, founder and chief executive of hedge fund Citadel, has shown an interest in the giant reptiles. In 2017, he donated $16.5 to the Field Museum of Chicago to finance the exhibition of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever seen. searched for.
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When was Apex established?
The apex was discovered by paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022 on his private land in Colorado. Measuring 11 feet tall and 27 feet long, it was a nearly complete and remarkably preserved fossil that scientists said ultimately fetched a record-breaking sum from Mr. Griffins.
The skeleton was initially expected to fetch about $6 million, but interest from six other participants brought its price to $44.6 million, breaking the previous record set by a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, which sold for $31.8 million in 2020.
What are stegosaurus?
Stegosaurus can be recognized by its distinctive double row of large, kite-shaped plates along its back plates and pointed tail. It roamed the Earth as a herbivorous dinosaur at the end of the Jurassic period, about 155–150 million years ago. Despite its impressive armor, Stegosaurus was a relatively small dinosaur, measuring about 30 feet in length and weighing about two to three metric tons.