A 150-million-year-old fossil of a Stegosaurus which became the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold earlier this year, has been put on display at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. The Stegosaurus, nicknamed Apex, will be available for public viewing for the next four years after billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin, who bought the fossil for $44.6 million, generously decided to offer it to the museum authorities. Afterwards, a cast of the specimen will take the fossil’s place.

The impressive specimen was revealed to reporters, photographers and museum employees and is expected to be opened to the public on Sunday (Dec 8).

“It’s one of the dinosaurs that every kid knows how to draw. This is a unique opportunity to have something that simultaneously, I think, really resonates in the public imagination about dinosaurs, but also from a research standpoint, is really a pretty special specimen to understand,” Sean M. Decatur, the museum’s president was quoted as saying by NYT.

“We hope our millions of visitors are as awe-struck as we are by Apex.”

Commenting about lending the fossil, Mr Griffin said Apex “offers a unique window into our planet’s distant past” and that he is grateful millions of visitors and researchers will be able to learn from the magnificent specimen at the museum.

“The joy and awe every child feels colouring a Stegosaurus with their crayons will now be brought to life for the millions of people who have the opportunity to see this epic dinosaur in person.”

This is not the first instance when Mr Griffins, the founder and chief executive of the hedge fund Citadel, has shown interest in the massive reptiles.In 2017, he donated $16.5 to Chicago’s Field Museum to fund an exhibit featuring the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered.

Also Read | US Billionaire Buys Largest Stegosaurus Skeleton For $44.6 Million, Shatters Auction Records

When was Apex found?

Apex was discovered by palaeontologist Jason Cooper on his private land in Colorado in 2022. Measuring 11 feet tall and 27 feet long, scientists stated it was a nearly complete and remarkably preserved fossil, which eventually fetched the record-breaking sum from Mr Griffins.

The skeleton was initially anticipated to fetch somewhere around $6 million but interest from six other participants saw the value balloon to $44.6 million, which smashed the previous record set by a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, which sold for $$31.8 million in 2020.

What are Stegosaurus?

The Stegosaurus is recognisable by its distinct double row of large, kite-shaped plates along its back plates and spiked tail. It roamed the Earth as a herbivorous dinosaur in the late Jurassic period, around 155-150 million years ago. Despite its impressive armour, Stegosaurus was a relatively small dinosaur, measuring about 30 feet in length and weighing around two to three metric tons.