The largest dinosaur skeleton auctioned in France has found a new owner. The bones belong to the herbivore Apatosaurus, which weighed more than 20 tons during its lifetime. The buyer, who paid 6 million euros for this precious item, remains anonymous.
The dinosaur skeleton was sold on Saturday at the Château of Dampierre-en-Yvelines near Paris. This was the largest auction of its kind in France.
The bones date back 150 million years and belong to the herbivore Apatosaurus. This specimen lived to be about 45 years old and weighed more than 20 tons.
France. 150 million year old skeleton goes up for auction
The bones were discovered in 2018 in the US state of Wyoming, where local law allows individuals to purchase a concession to collect prehistoric bones. The excavation took place from 2019 to 2021 and was funded by French investors.
See also: A treat for Freddie Mercury fans. unique auction
After extraction, the fossil was transported to France, where it underwent a lengthy restoration process. Work took place over two years, and experts were able to assemble 80 percent of the skeleton. original bones. They were placed on a metal structure so that the dinosaur was in an upright position.
The auction house Collin du Bocage and Barbarossa, which organized the sale, announced that the buyer paid a total of 6 million euros (25.9 million zlotys) for the item. The metal-framed dice alone cost 4.7 million euros, with the remaining 1.3 million euros being additional costs related to the auction and transportation.
See also: The eventful fate of the works of famous masters. Records may be broken at auction
The sales contract provides that the buyer consents to continued access by paleontologists to the dinosaur for scientific research purposes. The anonymous purchaser assured that the skeleton would not only be at the disposal of scientists, but would also be displayed in a museum. Previously, several institutions had expressed interest in Apatosaurus, but were unable to pay for it.
– This auction is one of the most expensive dinosaur skeleton auctions in France. Auction director Olivier Collin du Bocage said he was delighted that the new buyer had decided to lend it to an institution.
read more
Want to get the latest news?
We are preparing an application for your phone. Please check it out!
