The 61%‑complete, 38‑foot specimen shattered the stegosaurus Apex’s $44.6 million record, intensifying a market that some say should favor museums more.

Private buyers are increasingly outbidding museums for fossils. That’s making it difficult—or even impossible—for researchers to improve our understanding of the past.

A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton from South Dakota, nicknamed Gus, has become the world’s most expensive fossil sold at auction.