Get ready for a prehistoric spectacle! The world's largest dinosaur skeleton ever offered at auction, a colossal Apatosaurus nicknamed "Vulcain," is set to be sold this coming November.
Vulcain, a massive herbivore estimated to be around 150 million years old, measures a staggering 69 feet from head to tail. More than 80% of its bone structure is intact, a testament to the meticulous excavation process that took three years to bring the bones to the surface from their discovery site in Wyoming's paleontological hotspot.
This remarkable specimen is expected to fetch between $3.3 million and $5.4 million (â¬3 million and â¬5 million) at the Parisian auction houses Collin Du Bocage and Barbarossa. The sale will also include valuable documentation, such as the GPS coordinates of the excavation site, the excavation plan, and an osteological map.
Vulcain's size and completeness make it a rare and captivating piece of prehistoric history. It shares striking similarities with the Brontosaurus, another iconic sauropod dinosaur. Both were discovered around the same time in the late 1800s and were initially given separate names by paleontologist O.C. Marsh. However, Elmer Riggs, an American paleontologist, argued in 1903 that the differences between the two were not significant enough to warrant distinct classifications. As Apatosaurus was the earlier name, Brontosaurus was re-classified as a synonym.
Today, many paleontologists believe that the two dinosaurs deserve separate monikers due to subtle differences in their anatomy. Despite this debate, both Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus remain symbols of the Jurassic period, a time when these giants roamed the earth.
Vulcain's upcoming auction is likely to generate significant interest from collectors and institutions alike. The dinosaur skeleton will be on display at Dampierre castle in Dampierre-en-Yvelines, France from July 13 until November 3, giving the public a chance to marvel at this prehistoric giant before it heads to the auction block on November 16. Eric Mickeler, an expert in dinosaur skeleton sales with experience at Christieâs, Sothebyâs, and Aguttes, has been appointed as the expert for Vulcain.
In recent years, dinosaur skeletons have become highly sought-after collectibles, and prices for these impressive specimens have soared. In 1997, Tyrannosaurus rex âSueâ achieved a record-breaking $8.4 million at Sothebyâs. In 2020, another T.rex named Stan sold for an astonishing $31.8 million at Christieâs. Considering these astronomical sums, Vulcain's estimated price tag of $5 million may seem like a bargain for such a magnificent piece of paleontological history.