World's only complete baby dinosaur skeleton from 150-million-year ago up for auction
A swift and agile distant cousin of the T. rex, the extraordinary Ceratosaurus youth at auction measures 6 feet and 3 inches tall and 10 feet 8 inches long. Sotheby's has mounted it for the first time in history as one of the most extraordinary examples from its genus.
The remarkable specimen is the latest in Sotheby's "pioneering National History offerings," which began in 1997. In 2024, Sotheby's made a historic sale of Apex at $45 million, which set the world record for any dinosaur or fossil sold at auction. The Ceratosaurus reflects their 'commitment to presenting the most important and precious treasures from our planet's deep past,' as per a press release.
Sotheby's will present it at auction on July 16.
Have a few million to spare to buy a dinosaur?
The Ceratosaurus nasicornis was first unearthed in 1996 at the famed Bone Cabin Quarry (West) in Wyoming. The fossil bed gained notoriety through the efforts of the American Museum of Natural History, which conducted extensive excavations from 1898 to 1905. Henry Fairfield Osborn, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the American Museum, called it 'the greatest find of extinct animals made in a single locality in any part of the world.'
Hailing from one of the most significant dinosaur beds on Earth, archaeologists have only found three other Ceratosaurus in history. Cassandra Hatton, Vice Chairman, Science and Natural History, called the juvenile Ceratosaurus one of the "very finest dinosaurs" ever seen at auction.
As the second most complete skeleton in existence, the 'beautifully mineralized" fossil bones give the rare object and piece of natural history a rich, grey-black color. Made up of 139 bone elements, the Ceratosaurus has 'a remarkably complete and fully articulated skull.'
"The most delicate parts," Sotheby's continues, "have been well preserved, including its unique and distinctive nasal horn, elongate teeth, and row of bony armor running down its back and tail.' As a lethal predator, it boasts a unique anatomy that sets it apart from other theropods of the Late Jurassic, 'suggesting it occupied a specialized ecological niche.'
At six feet tall, the 'baby' dinosaur would have frightened most humans as a tall specimen. However, its adult counterparts would have soared to even greater heights, imbuing the skeleton with the thrill and fear these prehistoric beasts tend to inspire.
A dinosaur from a pivotal moment in Earth's history
Sotheby's says the Ceratosaurus lived during the Kimmeridgian Stage of the Late Jurassic—a time of intense evolutionary activity, with warm climates, rising sea levels, and the slow breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea.
Subsequently, due to the shifting conditions, dinosaurs flourished in diverse habitats that the shifting conditions produced across North America, Europe, and parts of Africa, 'allowing predators like Ceratosaurus and herbivores such as Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus to thrive," as per the press release.
Not only will the lucky buyer purchase a rare dinosaur species, but one that lived at a fascinating moment in the planet's history. Two of the dinosaurs they previously sold are currently on display at two major museums in the United States, so the distinctive and impressive Ceratosaurus nasicornis will most likely end up in a gallery that the general public can visit.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Fireflies are lighting up summer skies. But the glowing bugs are still on the decline
NEW YORK (AP) — Fireflies are lighting up summer evenings across the U.S. Northeast, putting on dazzling shows in backyards and city parks. There's no official count, but experts say a particularly wet spring may have created the ideal conditions for young fireflies to grow into adults to set summer nights aglow. Fireflies light the night everywhere: There are over 2,000 known species across the globe. They use their characteristic flashes to communicate and find the perfect mate. In New York City, the lightning bugs are out in the five boroughs, sparkling once the sun goes down in places like Central Park and Prospect Park. The summer months are ideal to spot them as they start to dwindle throughout the month of August. While northeastern nights may seem brighter this summer, the bugs are still on the decline and they're waning at a faster rate than ever before. 'It would be a mistake to say firefly populations are high this year, therefore there's no decline,' said Matt Schlesinger with the New York Natural Heritage Program, who is part of an effort to count fireflies in state parks. Habitat loss, pesticide use and light pollution are responsible for a decline in population. In cities, blaring lights from billboards, cars and storefronts can drown out the bugs' glow, making it harder for them to find their kin and pass their genes onto the next generation. Fireflies are part of the story of summer, said entomologist Jessica Ware with the American Museum of Natural History. Her children grew up seeing them flash in her backyard, but the bugs started to disappear once her kids hit their teenage years. In the past few months, her family has seen the fireflies come back. Their return made her think about all the kids who are glimpsing the glowing bugs for the very first time. 'It shouldn't be new,' Ware said. 'It should be something that is a universal part of summer.' To look out for fireflies, consider turning the lights off at night and avoid spraying front lawns with insecticides. 'We still need to do some work ourselves, to change our behavior, to really make sure that large populations can continue to stay large,' Ware said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Forbes
Monsters That Roamed Earth In The Day. What Would Fred Flintstone Say?
Paleontologist Ken Lacovera with a femur bone from his 6' 3' Dreadnoughtus discovery in Patagonia. Courtesy of Robert Clark In the day, how big could the real monster dinosaurs get? Renowned paleontologist Ken Lacovera, best known for his discovery in 2005 of Dreadnoughtus shrani, a 65-ton, 77-million-year-old Titanosaur unearthed in Patagonia, can tell you. Dreadnoughtus is one of the largest land animals ever to have roamed the Earth. One wonders what 1960s fictional television character Fred Flintsone would have thought had he encountered such a beast. Dread (pun intended) might be an appropriate word. We recently caught up with Lacovera, 64, for thoughts on his 'mammoth' discovery two decades back. Following are edited excerpts from a longer conversation. Jim Clash: What were you thinking when you first unearthed Dreadnoughtus? Ken Lacovara: When I found a 1.9-meter [6' 3'] femur bone in the desolate badlands of Patagonia, I suspected I'd discovered a new species of colossal plant-eater. That evening, under the blazing southern stars, I stared at the first few of the 145 bones we'd eventually unearth, wondering: 'Who are you? Where did you come from? What happened to you?' And, more practically, 'How am I going to get you out of here?' Our site was accessible only by raft and horse. Clash: What have been the implications of that find for the science of paleontology? Lacovara: At 65 tons - nine times the mass of a T. rex - you'd think Dreadnoughtus was near the upper limit for terrestrial animals. But bone analysis revealed it was still growing fast, even at its death! Clash: You're also a noted jazz drummer. Was there a moment when you had to choose one path over the other? Lacovera: Yes. After a stint at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City [New Jersey], I was offered a Broadway gig in New York. But science had already gripped me, ignited largely by Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos,' so I chose graduate school. In a cosmic bit of serendipity, years later my first expedition was funded by Ann Druyan, Sagan's widow. Music remains part of my life, though. I still carry sticks when I travel, and can usually find a spot on stage to sit in. Clash: You recently cut ribbon on a new museum, correct? Lacovera: Over the past two decades, I've gone on to excavate thousands of fossils in southern New Jersey of all places, opening a window on the final chapters of the dinosaur age. To share these discoveries, we have opened the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, a carbon net-zero architectural wonder with state-of-the-art exhibits, gardens, nature trails and a quarry where visitors can dig for fossils themselves. How about that?
Business Insider
22-07-2025
- Business Insider
The $5.3 million sale of a precious rock from Mars belonging to Niger spurs outrage
A rare Martian meteorite unearthed in Niger sold for a whopping $5.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, prompting outrage from scientists and cultural heritage defenders who are now seeking answers and its return. A Martian meteorite weighing 24.6 kilograms and discovered in Niger was auctioned for $5.3 million at Sotheby's New York. The meteorite, known as NWA 16788, is the largest Martian rock ever found on Earth, estimated to have traveled 140 million miles. Concerns were raised about the legality and ethical implications of exporting this significant artifact from Niger. In November 2023, a meteorite hunter discovered NWA 16788 in the Agadez area of northern Niger. It weighs more than 24.6 kilograms (54 pounds) and is the biggest Martian rock ever recovered on Earth, according to Sotheby's. Experts estimate it traveled 140 million miles from Mars' surface, likely dislodged by an ancient asteroid impact, before landing in the Sahara sands. The auction started at $1.9 million and quickly jumped to $4.3 million, with premiums and fees bringing the total to $5.3 million. However, Sotheby's has not revealed the identity of either the buyer or the seller, heightening speculation over how such an important alien item departed its nation of origin. The auction took place during the auction house's "Geek Week," which features goods related to natural history, science, and space. A private gallery in Tuscany, Italy, and the Italian Space Agency had both previously exhibited the rock. Conversation on meteorites in Africa The specimen's provenance remains a matter of debate, however, as reported by Forbes. 'The NWA 16788 meteorite was shipped and transported in line with the standard procedure of all meteorites that come out of Niger. As with everything we sell, all relevant documentation was in order at each stage of its journey,' Sotheby's tells Forbes Africa. According to Giovanni Pratesi, a professor at the University of Florence in Italy and one of the authors of two of the three papers referenced in the Sotheby's catalogue, he was 'only involved in the characterization and study of this specimen (NWA 16788), without having received, for a while, any information about provenance.' 'In fact, the place of recovery of the meteorites is not so important for science because their real provenance, of course, is not the Earth but other bodies of the Solar System,' Pratesi says. 'Anyway, there is no doubt that the Sahara represents a very important reservoir of extraterrestrial material. 'A confirmation of this is given by the high number of meteorite specimens bearing the name NWA (North West Africa) that is used when the exact place of recovery is not known. In this respect, I believe that African countries should organize a network to recover and valorize these meteorites.' The sale has reignited concerns about the unregulated trade of meteorites, particularly those discovered in developing countries. Nigerien officials and international cultural watchdogs are now questioning the legality and ethics of the meteorite's export, with many demanding its immediate return. 'It was discovered in Niger? How come it ended up being sold in New York?' says Alia Baré, a fashion designer and daughter of former Nigerien president Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara, to Forbes Africa. 'It is a crucial matter of sovereignty… This is a national treasure that shouldn't have been sold. Things have to change,' she added.
