The American Museum of Natural History unveiled an extraordinary new resident on Thursday: Apex, one of the most complete Stegosaurus skeletons ever discovered.
Standing 11 feet tall and stretching 27 feet long, this Jurassic giant is already captivating visitors and researchers alike.
Apex, the $44.6 Million Stegosaurus, Debuts at the Museum
The reveal delighted an audience of schoolchildren as the museum showcased the nearly intact fossil, which dates back about 150 million years.
Known for its iconic back plates and spiked tail, the Stegosaurus is a fan favorite among dinosaur enthusiasts.
According to Reuters, Apex's skeleton is particularly exciting due to its exceptional condition, allowing paleontologists to study the species like never before.
Stegosaurus lived during the Jurassic Period, walking on four sturdy legs and using its spiked tail, called a thagomizer, to defend against predators like Allosaurus.
The completeness of Apex's skeleton offers scientists a rare opportunity to explore the biology and growth patterns of this plant-eating dinosaur. Researchers plan to study the femur to understand how Stegosaurus grew and to investigate its metabolism, which might have been slower than other dinosaurs.
Apex's journey began in 2022 when it was unearthed near Dinosaur, Colorado. This remarkable fossil later fetched a record $44.6 million at a Sotheby's auction, purchased by billionaire and museum benefactor Ken Griffin.
Griffin has generously loaned Apex to the museum for a four-year exhibit, where visitors can marvel at the Jurassic marvel while scientists conduct detailed studies.
Apex Reveals Stegosaurus Growth and Metabolism Secrets
Adding intrigue to Apex's story is a dramatic injury revealed by the fossil. Beneath its shoulder blade, a puncture wound contains a fragment of its own tail spike, suggesting that after death, the tail curled and impaled the shoulder.
This self-inflicted wound, along with the rapid burial of the skeleton, helped preserve it in remarkable condition, sparing it from scavengers.
Currently displayed on the first floor of the museum's Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, Apex will eventually move to the fourth-floor dinosaur hall. The public can view the fossil starting Sunday, December 9, Gizmodo said.
While its future beyond the museum is uncertain, its four-year tenure promises to inspire wonder and advance our understanding of the prehistoric world.
Apex isn't just a display piece — it's a window into the past, helping scientists uncover the secrets of Stegosaurus and the world it inhabited millions of years ago.
