The largest stegosaurus skeleton ever found has been sold for a record-breaking $44.6m at a New York auction.

Nicknamed Apex, the 150-million-year-old skeleton – standing 11 feet (3.3 metres) tall and 27 feet (8.2 metres) long – was sold on Wednesday to an anonymous American buyer, said Sotheby’s.

The largest stegosaurus skeleton ever found has been sold for a record-breaking $44.6m at a New York auction.

Nicknamed Apex, the 150-million-year-old skeleton – standing 11 feet (3.3 metres) tall and 27 feet (8.2 metres) long – was sold on Wednesday to an anonymous American buyer, said Sotheby’s.