Size of Stegosaurus readily apparent in new NYC display to open this weekend


"Apex," a 150 million-year-old Stegosaurus that is the most complete and well-preserved specimen of its size ever discovered, is seen on display for a media preview at Sotheby's in New York City on Wednesday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The 150 million-year-old fossil remains of a Stegosaurus dinosaur named "Apex" will be displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City starting Sunday.

The dinosaur's remains are considered by many to be the largest and most complete examples of the Stegosaurus ever discovered and are displayed in the museum's Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium.





The fossil measures 11.5 feet high and 27 feet in length and is mounted in a defensive pose with its spiked tail raised high.

It was discovered in the Morrison Formation near Dinosaur, Colo., in 2022 and contains more than 254 of its original 320 bone elements.

The missing bones were recreated using 3D printing and sculpted pieces to create a complete display of the dinosaur.

The museum chose the atrium to display it so that visitors can walk around the dinosaur's skeleton and appreciate its size.

Researchers with the museum's Paleontology Division will study the fossil to learn more about its growth, life history and variations compared to similar specimens at other natural history institutions.

The fossil is on loan from billionaire Kenneth Griffin, who purchased it in 2024 at auction from Sotheby's for $44.6 million.

The Stegosaurus is the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction.

Although it is named Apex, the Stegosaurus was a plant-eater that lived between 145 million and 152 million years ago and is found in the United States, according to the U.K. Natural History Museum in London.

The armored dinosaur used its spiked tail to defend against predators and had distinctive vertical bony plates along its back that were embedded into its skin but not attached to its skeleton.

Scientists are unsure what the purpose might be for the bony plates, with some suggesting they discouraged predators, enabled recognition of other Stegosaurus dinosaurs or helped regulate its body temperature.