Gigantic Dinosaur Skeleton Up for Auction in Paris Hopes to Break World Record

paris - A unique, 150-million-year-old skeleton of a dinosaur is set to be auctioned in Paris with hopes of breaking the world record for the highest auction amount paid for a dinosaur fossil.

A unique and gigantic dinosaur skeleton, named 'Vulcain', is set to be auctioned in Paris this Saturday at Château de Dampierre-en-Yvelines. The Apatosaurus skeleton is 20.5 meters long, 4 meters high, and consists of 80% original fossilized bones. The remaining 20% is made of resin. Discovered in Wyoming in 2018, it took three years to fully excavate the skeleton.

The skeleton, nicknamed 'The Beast of Dampierre', was originally estimated to be worth two to three million euros, but current estimates range from 10 to 20 million euros. Auction house Collin du Bocage is secretly hoping to break the world record for the highest auction amount paid for a dinosaur fossil. In July 2024, a smaller dinosaur skeleton sold for 42 million euros in New York.