The collection of bones, known as Apex, was sold at Sotheby’s in New York on Wednesday to an unnamed US buyer who beat off six other bidders.
The sum they paid was the highest ever, shattering the pre-sale estimate of $4–6 million (£3–£4.6 million) and breaking the previous auction record of $31.8 million (£24.4 million) for a Tyrannosaurus rex known as Stan in 2020.
Apex is one of the most complete fossils ever discovered, measuring 3.3 meters (11 feet) in height and 8.2 meters (27 feet) in length.
According to the auction house, the dinosaur had lived long enough to exhibit arthritis symptoms.
Heading Sotheby’s scientific division, Cassandra Hatton stated that Apex “has now taken its place in history, some 150 million years since it roamed the planet.”
Her description of Apex as “a colouring book dinosaur” reflected its well-preserved traits.
The buyer, who is American, plans to investigate lending Apex to a US-based organization.
The sale of dinosaur fossils has divided the palaeontology community, with some arguing that the specimens should be in museums or research facilities that cannot afford the high auction prices.
