Approximately 11.5 feet tall, 27 feet long, and 6 feet wide.
Discovered by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in Dinosaur, Colorado in 2023.
Discovered in Morrison Formation dating back to Jurassic period.
Found with help of an earth-moving machine. Approximately 70% complete.
Largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil ever found named 'Apex'.
In the small town of Dinosaur, Colorado, a significant discovery was made by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2023. While taking a walk on his property with a friend, they stumbled upon a protruding femur bone that led them to an extraordinary find: the largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil ever discovered. The fossil, now named 'Apex,' was estimated to be worth between $4 million and $6 million when it went up for auction at Sotheby's in July 2024.
The stegosaurus skeleton, which is approximately 11.5 feet tall, 27 feet long, and 6 feet wide, was found with the help of an earth-moving machine to shift large boulders weighing up to a tonne. Apex is about 70% complete and was discovered in the Morrison Formation, a stretch of sedimentary rock dating back to the Jurassic period and covering 600,000 sq miles of the western US.
The fossil hunter's discovery made headlines around the world. Sotheby's global head of science and popular culture, Cassandra Hatton, described Apex as a significant milestone in paleontology:
Jason Cooper discovered the largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil ever found on his property in Dinosaur, CO in 2023.
The stegosaurus skeleton is among the largest and most complete ever found, with several gaps filled in using 3D-scanning technology.
Accuracy
Apex is among the largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossils ever found.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains an appeal to authority when it mentions the estimated value of the fossil by Sotheby's and previous high-priced fossil sales. However, no formal or informal fallacies were found in direct statements made by Asher Elbein.
] The specimen, found by the paleontologist Jason Cooper, could be auctioned for millions of dollars by Sotheby's.[
In 2020, Stan, another largely complete T. rex skeleton, sold at Christie's for $31.8 million.
A 150 million-year-old stegosaurus nicknamed 'Apex' was discovered in Colorado by a seasoned fossil hunter.
The stegosaurus is estimated to be worth between $4 million and $6 million at auction.
Apex is approximately 11.5ft tall, 27ft long, and 6ft wide, making it nearly twice the size of another stegosaurus in London’s Natural History Museum.
The fossil hunter found Apex with the help of a friend and an earth-moving machine to shift large boulders weighing up to a tonne.
Apex is 70% complete, which is considered an incredible amount for a dinosaur, especially a stegosaurus.
The fossil was found in the Morrison Formation, a stretch of sedimentary rock dating back to the Jurassic period and covering 600,000 sq miles of the western US.
