Wealthy Hedge Fund Tycoon Debuts $44.6 Million Jurassic Colossus at U.S. Natural History Museum
Wealthy Hedge Fund Tycoon Debuts $44.6 Million Jurassic Colossus at U.S. Natural History Museum
Fresh stegosaur discovery hits the scene—thank goodness it didn't fall to pieces at a $44.6 million cost!
This newly-discovered stegosaurus, which they've named Apex, was unearthed near Dinosaur, Colorado in 2022. Millionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin snatched it up last July for a whopping record price. (Griffin even has his name etched on the atrium of the museum's lavish new Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation.) Now, this 150-million-year-old specimen will spend the next 4 years at the American Museum of Natural History, allowing researchers to closely study it and broaden our understanding of the celebrated Jurassic herbivore.
A few details about the private-owned dinosaur: Apex stands at 3 meters tall and stretches 8 meters long, making it one of the largest and most complete stegosaurs ever discovered. Currently, Apex can be viewed on the first floor of the Gilder Center, but in the future, it will be relocated to the museum's fourth floor dinosaur hall. At present, it's unknown which of the three stegosaurus species that wandered across western North America during the late Jurassic Apex belongs to.
According to Roger Benson, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History and the museum's curator-in-charge of fossil amphibians, reptiles, and birds and fossil plants, one of their primary objectives is to examine the changes in the animal's skeleton as it grew. They plan to analyze one of Apex's large femurs to gain insights into its growth patterns and ultimately create a 3D scan of the dinosaur. Since Apex has reached maturity, this femur analysis will prove incredibly useful in creating a growth chart for the stegosaur. Recent research suggests that stegosaurs might have had a lower metabolic rate compared to other dinosaurs, making Apex's growth rate and age invaluable data points.
Although researchers have yet to delve deeply into Apex's history, they've spotted a clue from its past. Beneath its scapula, a small puncture wound is accompanied by a bit of bone, specifically a chevron from its tail spikes – the thagomizer. Named after a Gary Larson cartoon, this intimidating, tail-mounted slab of spikes terrified many dinosaurs throughout the Jurassic.
“When Apex died, it essentially curled around itself,” Benson revealed. “Its tail spike impaled the animal’s left shoulder, and a piece of the bone actually broke off and stayed in place.” With only this minor self-inflicted wound to speak of, Apex is remarkably well-preserved.
Benson suggested, “It was buried reasonably quickly and fortuitously, preventing extensive scavenging. In other words, sometimes, things just go your way.”
Visitors will have the chance to marvel at this 150-million-year-old giant starting December 9. Whether Apex will continue its 4-year stay at the museum or find a new home after its term remains Ken Griffin's call.
In the future, Apex, the largest and most complete stegosaur discovered, may be relocated to the museum's fourth floor dinosaur hall for public viewing. Advancements in technology and science, such as creating a 3D scan of Apex using its growth patterns, will provide us with new insights about this Jurassic herbivore's growth pattern.