Stegosaurus fossil fetches nearly $45M, setting record for dinosaur auctions

The transcript discusses the sale of a rare stegosaurus skeleton named Apex, which sold for $44.6 million at Sotheby's, setting a new record for dinosaur fossils. The sale has raised concerns among scientists about the impact on research due to high prices. Apex, a nearly complete 160-million-year-old dinosaur, was discovered in Colorado and is now part of a lucrative market for prehistoric artifacts. The transcript also highlights the debate over private ownership versus museum curation of fossils and compares Apex's sale to that of Stan, a T. rex fossil. The auction process and responsibilities for buyers are also discussed.

What is the historical context behind the auctioning of dinosaur fossils?

How does Robert Dietrich view the relationship between private buyers and museums?