It has been a massive month for megafauna that once walked the Earth and the objects that made them extinct and, this time – at least when it comes to the art market – dinosaurs have come out on top.
On 16 July, Sotheby’s in New York sold a 150-million-year-old Ceratosaurus skeleton for $30.5m, well over the estimate of $4m–$6m. Rarity undoubtedly played a factor since only three other Ceratosaurus fossils have been found to date. While the ethics of trading in objects that are of great scientific interest continue to be debated, Sotheby’s released post-sale statement revealing that the buyer would be lending their colossal haul to a public institution. Indeed, the Sotheby’s listing described it as ‘exhibition-ready’.
While the dinosaur hailed from Earth – Bone Cabin Quarry, Wyoming, to be exact – the meteorite that Sotheby’s also sold this month was definitely from Mars. Discovered in November 2023 in the Sahara Desert in Niger, the rock known as NWA 16788 is the biggest piece of Mars ever to be found. It too, exceeded expectations, fetching $5.3m (including fees) over an estimate of $2m–$4m. The buyer of the meteorite is also unknown and there are no clues as to whether it will be on public view again. Rakewell would be over the moon at the prospect.
