PARIS: The skeleton of “Vulcain,” a 20.5-meter-long Apatosaurus, was auctioned in Paris for £4.7 million (about $5 million), marking it as one of the highest-priced dinosaur skeletons ever sold in France, as announced by auction houses Collin du Bocage and Barbarossa.

According to Oman News Agency, the record for the most expensive dinosaur skeleton sold in France remains with “Big John,” which fetched £6 million in Paris in 2021. “Vulcain,” comprising over 80% original bones, was initially estimated to sell for between £3 million to £5 million prior to the auction. The £4.7 million sale price does not include value-added tax (VAT) and the auctioneer’s fee.

The new owner of “Vulcain,” a French collector, plans to lend the skeleton to a museum or scientific institution, contributing to scientific research and public display. The fossil market continues to thrive, highlighted by the July 2024 auction of a 150-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, which sold for $45 million at Sotheby’s in New York.