An Apatosaurus skeleton, named “Vulcan,” was recently auctioned off in France for over $6 million, making it the largest dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction. The skeleton, which is around 70 feet long and weighs 22 tons, will be put on public display and made accessible to scientists for study.
The near-complete skeleton consists of 300 bones, with about 80% of them being authentic. It belonged to an Apatosaurus that lived in North America during the late Jurassic period. The fossils were unearthed by private collectors in Wyoming between 2018 and 2021.
The auction took place at a chateau near Paris, where an anonymous bidder paid 6 million euros to acquire the skeleton. The new owner has promised to display Vulcan at an institution and allow researchers to study the bones.
Vulcan is now considered the biggest dinosaur ever sold at auction worldwide. It ranks among the top 10 most expensive dinosaur fossils ever sold, with a price slightly lower than that of “Big John,” the world’s largest Triceratops, but higher than other notable fossils like a Gorgosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus rex skull.
The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold was “Apex,” a Stegosaurus purchased for $44.6 million. Prior to that, “Stan,” a T. rex, held the record at $31.8 million. The third-most-expensive dinosaur sold is “Hector” the Deinonychus, bought for $12.4 million.
In the world of dinosaur auctions, these large sums of money reflect the value that collectors and researchers place on these rare and significant fossils. The study of dinosaurs continues to captivate the public and advance our understanding of prehistoric life on Earth.