The 150 Million Year Old Giant Dinosaur Framework Sold For IDR 100 Billion, Will Be Displayed At The French Museum

JAKARTA - A 22-meter (70-foot) dinosaur skeleton sold for 6 million euros or Rp. 100 billion in a Colin du Bocage and Barbarossa auction house in Paris, France on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

Reported by VOI from the AFP page on Monday, November 18, 2024, an unknown collector managed to acquire fossils of a herbivore dinosaur skeleton found in the United States.

Initially, the price reached 4.7 million euros or IDR 78 million, which then rose to 6 million euros including auction fees. In addition, the buyer promised to allow it to be on display at the museum.

"We are pleased that the buyer intends to lend it to an institution," said Olivier Collin du Bocage of the Collin du Bocage auction house.

The herbivore giant skeleton consists of 75 to 80 percent of the original bone and is estimated to be around 150 million years old. According to the Barbarossa auction house, these are the largest dinosaurs ever sold at auctions around the world.

Upon discovery, these dinosaur fossils were sent to France to undergo two years of restoration at the Paleomooove Laboratory in Luberon, southeast France.

During the summer, the skeleton of the giant dinosaur is estimated to weigh about 20 tons. The fossil is displayed in the Dampierre-en-Yvelines greenhouse, a castle about 50 kilometers southwest of Paris, where the auction takes place.

The fossil remains of the asteroid, dubbedaiwan, were discovered in 2018 in Wyoming, United States, where local law allows individuals to obtain permits to dig prehistoric bones.

The excavation was carried out between 2019 and 2021, which was financed by an investor from France. The fossil consists of about 300 bones which were then sent to France for recovery.

Prior to the auction, the estimated value of this dinosaur skeleton was set at between 3 - 5 million euros (Rp50 - 83 billion). However, at a final price of 6 million euros, this sale broke a new record in the world of fossil auctions.

In its sales contract, the buyer is committed to granting paleontologists access to study the dinosaur.

This move is expected to provide deeper insight into the life of the giant dinosaur that once lived on Earth 150 million years ago.

This sale is an important moment for the world of paleontology and dinosaur enthusiasts, showing how valuable and interesting this extraordinary fossil discovery is.

The existence of this apatosaurus skeleton, which will be displayed in museums for the public, allows us to further explore the prehistoric history of our planet. This provides a life picture of creatures that once controlled Earth long before humans existed.