A massive Apatosaurus skeleton, the largest ever auctioned in France, was sold for more than $6 million on Saturday in the Paris region.
75% Original Bones
The skeleton measures an impressive 72 feet long and consisting of 75%-80% original bones. The auction of the fossil drew significant attention from collectors and paleontology enthusiasts alike, according to Digi24.
The anonymous buyer is a private collector, who has promised to donate the skeleton to a museum for public display, according to auction houses Collin du Bocage and Barbarossa.
"This is one of the largest auctions ever for a dinosaur skeleton in France," said Olivier Collin du Bocage, expressing excitement over the sale.
Found in Wyoming
Nicknamed "Vulcan," the Apatosaurus is an herbivorous giant that likely weighed around 20 tons when alive and reached an estimated age of 45 years.
The fossil had been displayed at the Château de Dampierre-en-Yvelines, roughly 30 miles southwest of Paris, during the summer before the auction took place.
Discovered in 2018 in Wyoming, USA, "Vulcan" was unearthed through private excavations between 2019 and 2021, funded by a French investor.
Wyoming’s laws allow individuals to acquire excavation rights to search for prehistoric fossils. Once recovered, the skeleton — comprising approximately 300 bones — was shipped to France for meticulous restoration.
The auction contract includes a provision ensuring that paleontologists will have access to study the dinosaur, maintaining its value to the scientific community.
