A juvenile dinosaur skeleton has been auctioned for $30.5 million in New York, surpassing its high estimate by a factor of five, to become one of the most valuable fossils ever sold.
The Ceratosaurus was expected to make between $4 million and $6 million in the Geek Week Natural World sale at Sotheby’s in New York.
But a six-minute tussle among bidders saw it soar to $30.5 million.
It is the third most valuable dinosaur sold at auction.
The remains were discovered in 1996 at the Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, USA, one of the most famous dinosaur fossil grounds in the world. The skeleton is from the Jurassic period, so is between 145 million and 201 million years old.
It is incredibly well preserved and complete, and will reportedly be loaned to an institution by its new owner, who has not been named and bought the item through telephone bids.
The most valuable ever fossil is Apex, a Stegosaurus skeleton that was auctioned – also by Sotheby’s – for $44.6 million in July last year.
Records fell later in the sale too, as a Martian meteorite sold for $5.3 million after a 15-minute bidding battle.
A pachycephalosaurus skull made a record $1.8 million.
The sale in total made over five times pre-sale low estimates.
Cassandra Hatton of Sotheby’s said: “These stellar results underscore a deep and enduring fascination and respect for the natural world — from the farthest reaches of space to the ancient depths of the Earth. What draws collectors is more than just a passion for science; it’s a deep-seated curiosity about the forces that have shaped our planet and beyond.”
