Latest news with #Stegosaurus
Mint
3 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Largest piece of Mars fetches $5.3 million at auction, young dinosaur skeleton steals the show
New York City recently hosted an auction of rare geological and archaeological objects, featuring the largest piece of Mars ever found which was sold for over $5 million. However, it was a rare young dinosaur skeleton which actually stole the show when it fetched more than $30 million in a bidding frenzy. The 54-pound (25-kilogram) rock, officially named NWA 16788 was sold for approximately $5.3 million, including fees and costs, making it the most valuable meteorite ever auctioned. The rock was discovered in the Sahara Desert, Niger by a meteorite hunter in November 2023, after it was blown off the surface of Mars by a massive asteroid strike, according to Sotheby's report, cited by AP. The red, brown and gray meteorite is about 70% larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth and represents nearly 7% of all the Martian pieces currently on this planet, AP reported. Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman for science and natural history at Sotheby's highlighted the rarity of the find, noting that only 400 Martian meteorites out of the more than 77,000 officially recognized meteorites found on Earth are Martian. 'This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot,' Hatton said. 'So it's more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars.' Stealing the show was a rare young dinosaur skeleton that fetched an astounding $30.5 million, including fees and costs after a six minutes bidding war among six interested participants. The skeleton is identified as a Ceratosaurus nasicornis, which is one of only four known skeletons of its species and the only juvenile one. The species resemblesthe Tyrannosaurus rex but is smaller. The bidding began with a high advance offer of $6 million, quickly escalating during the live round with bids $500,000 higher than the last and later $1 million higher than the last before ending at $26 million. The winner plans to loan dinosaur skeleton to an institution, Sotheby's told AP. This sale marks the third-highest amount paid for a dinosaur at an auction. A Stegosaurus skeleton called 'Apex' holds the record after it was sold for $44.6 million last year at Sotheby's. Parts of the juvenile dinosaur were found in 1996 near Laramie, Wyoming, at Bone Cabin Quarry, which is considered a gold mine for dinosaur bones. It was acquired last year by Fossilogic, a Utah-based fossil preparation and mounting company. The skeleton is more than 6 feet (2 meters) tall and nearly 11 feet (3 meters) long, and is believed to belong to the lateJurassic period, about 150 million years ago. Ceratosaurus dinosaurs could grow up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) long, while the T. rex could be 40 feet (12 meters) long, the news agency reported.
Mint
4 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Anonymous buyer spends ₹263 crore to own 150-million-year-old dinosaur fossil; ‘Bezos or Musk?' wonders social media
A very rare dinosaur fossil has been sold for $30.5 million ( ₹ 263 crore) at an auction in New York. It was a Ceratosaurus, a meat-eating dinosaur with a horn on its nose, sharp teeth and bony armour on its back and tail. The buyer wants to loan it to an institution, which is suitable for a specimen of this 'rarity and importance', Sotheby's auction house said. Professor Steve Brusatte has called such high prices shocking. The dinosaur expert from the University of Edinburgh feels museums cannot afford them. 'While I'm pleased that the buyer might loan the skeleton to a museum to be put on display, at this point, it is just a vague suggestion. The buyer is still anonymous,' Brusatte told CNN. He fears the fossil may end up hidden in a rich person's home and never be seen by the public again. 'My fear is that this skeleton will disappear into the ether, into the mansion of an oligarch or a bank vault to accumulate value as just another investment in the portfolio of a hedge fund, and not see the light of day until it's auctioned again, or maybe never at all,' he added. A Mars meteorite, the biggest found on Earth, was sold for $5.3 million in the same auction. In July 2024, a Stegosaurus fossil named Apex was sold by Sotheby's for $44.6 million ( ₹ 380 crore). Social media wondered who the buyer was. 'Bezos or Musk?' asked one YouTube user. Another called it 'bare bones capitalism'. 'Are you telling me Sotheby's got 4 million in fees?' asked one user as the official price differed from what was seen in the auction video. This fossil is special because it's the only young Ceratosaurus among the four known in the world. It is over 150 million years old. It belongs to Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian Stage, estimated to have existed 154-149 million years ago. The fossil is 6 feet tall and over 10 feet long, with 139 bones. Its skull is almost complete with 57 bones. It is an 'exceptional, exhibition-ready mounted skeleton', according to Sotheby's. The skull has 43 teeth, along with 5 extra loose teeth. Its sharp teeth and horned nose are clearly visible. The bones are well-preserved, dark in colour and show fine details. Sotheby's says it is one of the best and most complete fossils of its kind. It was expected to sell for $4 to $6 million. However, it got much more after six bidders competed, CNN reported. It was shown at a museum in Utah from 2000 to 2024. Surprisingly, scientists have never formally studied this fossil in a research paper. Experts believe the fossil belonged to a young dinosaur due to the delicate bone structure. The skeleton has been carefully mounted in a dramatic pose with jaws open. It includes ownership documents, x-rays, 3D scans and legal certification. According to Sotheby's, the dinosaur skeleton is offered with full ownership rights.
Mint
4 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Anonymous buyer spends ₹263 crore to own 150-million-year-old dinosaur fossil; ‘Bezos or Musk?' wonders social media
A very rare dinosaur fossil has been sold for $30.5 million ( ₹ 263 crore) at an auction in New York. It was a Ceratosaurus, a meat-eating dinosaur with a horn on its nose, sharp teeth and bony armour on its back and tail. The buyer wants to loan it to an institution, which is suitable for a specimen of this 'rarity and importance', Sotheby's auction house said. Professor Steve Brusatte has called such high prices shocking. The dinosaur expert from the University of Edinburgh feels museums cannot afford them. 'While I'm pleased that the buyer might loan the skeleton to a museum to be put on display, at this point, it is just a vague suggestion. The buyer is still anonymous,' Brusatte told CNN. He fears the fossil may end up hidden in a rich person's home and never be seen by the public again. 'My fear is that this skeleton will disappear into the ether, into the mansion of an oligarch or a bank vault to accumulate value as just another investment in the portfolio of a hedge fund, and not see the light of day until it's auctioned again, or maybe never at all,' he added. A Mars meteorite, the biggest found on Earth, was sold for $5.3 million in the same auction. In July 2024, a Stegosaurus fossil named Apex was sold by Sotheby's for $44.6 million ( ₹ 380 crore). Social media wondered who the buyer was. 'Bezos or Musk?' asked one YouTube user. Another called it 'bare bones capitalism'. 'Are you telling me Sotheby's got 4 million in fees?' asked one user as the official price differed from what was seen in the auction video. This fossil is special because it's the only young Ceratosaurus among the four known in the world. It is over 150 million years old. It belongs to Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian Stage, estimated to have existed 154-149 million years ago. The fossil is 6 feet tall and over 10 feet long, with 139 bones. Its skull is almost complete with 57 bones. It is an 'exceptional, exhibition-ready mounted skeleton', according to Sotheby's. The skull has 43 teeth, along with 5 extra loose teeth. Its sharp teeth and horned nose are clearly visible. The bones are well-preserved, dark in colour and show fine details. Sotheby's says it is one of the best and most complete fossils of its kind. It was expected to sell for $4 to $6 million. However, it got much more after six bidders competed, CNN reported. It was shown at a museum in Utah from 2000 to 2024. Surprisingly, scientists have never formally studied this fossil in a research paper. Experts believe the fossil belonged to a young dinosaur due to the delicate bone structure. The skeleton has been carefully mounted in a dramatic pose with jaws open. It includes ownership documents, x-rays, 3D scans and legal certification. According to Sotheby's, the dinosaur skeleton is offered with full ownership rights. Originally found in 1996, it was held by a museum and later by Fossilogic LLC, who finished and displayed it in 2024–25.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Rare juvenile dinosaur 'Ceratosaurus' fossil sells for $30.5 million at Sotheby's auction
Reuters Juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil sells for $30.5M at Sotheby's auction A rare juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil believed to be the only one of its kind sold for a jaw-dropping $30.5 million at Sotheby's on Wednesday(July 16).The fossil, uncovered in 1996 at Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, is one of only four known Ceratosaurus skeletons ever discovered and the only juvenile among them. Measuring over six feet tall and nearly 11 feet long, the 150-million-year-old relic includes 139 fossilized bone elements, 57 of which form what Sotheby's calls a 'superb, virtually complete skull.'Described by the auction house as 'one of the finest and most complete examples of its kind ever found,' the dinosaur far surpassed its $4 million to $6 million pre-sale estimate during a dramatic six-minute bidding war between six participants. It previously spent over two decades on display at the Museum of Ancient Life in Utah but has never been formally studied in scientific nasicornis was a carnivorous dinosaur known for its distinctive nasal horn, long teeth, and bony armor along its spine and tail. The species roamed North America during the late Jurassic Sotheby's says the unnamed buyer intends to loan the fossil to an institution, paleontologists remain cautious. 'Who has that kind of money to spend on a dinosaur? Certainly not any museums or educational institutions,' said Steve Brusatte, a paleontology professor at the University of Edinburgh. 'My fear is that this skeleton will disappear into the ether into a mansion or a bank vault.'Still, auction officials argue the private market can play a vital role in preserving and promoting scientific specimens.'These stellar results underscore a deep and enduring fascination with the natural world,' said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's global head of science and natural history. 'What draws collectors is more than a passion for science; it's curiosity about the forces that shaped our planet.' The sale follows a trend of surging fossil prices, including last year's record-breaking $44.6 million sale of 'Apex,' a Stegosaurus skeleton that now resides at the American Museum of Natural History. 'Bottom line,' said Brusatte, 'a world where dinosaur skeletons can fetch tens of millions of dollars is not a world where dinosaurs will long be accessible to educate and inspire everyone.'
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Largest piece of Mars on Earth sells for over $5M but rare dinosaur fossil makes more at auction
Sotheby's witnessed a jaw-dropping auction on July 16, 2025, where two rare relics of Earth and space stole the show, according to NBC. A Martian meteorite, named NWA 16788, weighing 54 pounds and hurled from Mars by an ancient asteroid impact, fetched over $5 million, well above its projected price. Found in Niger's Sahara Desert in 2023, the rock travelled 140 million miles to land on Earth. But it was a young dinosaur skeleton that made more noise, hammering in at more than $30 million. Bidders competed fiercely, turning the auction process into a high-stakes fight of science and history. Meteorite NWA 16788, the largest known piece of Mars on Earth(REUTERS) Bidding war for a piece of Mars Reportedly, the meteorite, sold for $4.3 million ($5.3 million after fees), set a new record as the most valuable of its kind, though live bidding moved slowly at times. The real drama came with a juvenile ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton, one of just four known and the only young specimen. With an early offer of $6 million, six bidders battled for six intense minutes. The price jumped in $500,000 and $1 million increments before slamming down at $26 million, sparking applause across the Sotheby's auction room. Also Read: 'Super Earth': NASA discovers giant planet sending mysterious signal 154 light years away Juvenile ceratosaurus to be loaned for exhibition The new owner of the $26 million Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton plans to loan it to an institution, Sotheby's confirmed. It now ranks as the third-priciest dinosaur ever sold, behind 2024's record-breaking $44.6 million Stegosaurus, 'Apex.' Discovered in 1996 near Laramie, Wyoming, and reassembled with 140 bones, the juvenile predator, over 6 feet tall and 11 feet long, dates back 150 million years to the late Jurassic period. Also Read: Limited edition Labubu doll nears $10,000 mark in auction: All you need to know Weighing heavy and streaked in reds and grays, the Martian meteorite NWA 16788 is no ordinary rock. Measuring 15 inches across, it is 70% bigger than any other Mars fragment on Earth and accounts for nearly 7% of all Martian material ever recovered. FAQs How much did the Mars meteorite sell for? It sold for $4.3 million at Sotheby's, minus fees. How much did the dinosaur skeleton sell for? The ceratosaurus skeleton was sold for $26 million. What made this auction special? Rare fossils and meteorites drew intense bids from collectors.
