Rare Nanotyrannus skeleton sells for $47.3m at New York auction
Sale makes ‘Jodi’, a smaller relative of T rex, the ‘second most valuable dinosaur ever sold at auction’, Sotheby’s says A rare skeleton of a Nanotyrannus, a smaller relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex, sold at auction in New York this week for $47.3m, making it one of the world’s most expensive fossils. The skeleton, named “Jodi” after the person who found the remains in 2019, sold at Sotheby’s on…
A newly identified dinosaur skeleton, initially mistaken for a young Tyrannosaurus rex, sold for an astounding $47.3 million (£35.5 million) at Sotheby's auction in New York. Nicknamed Jodi, the 10-foot-tall (3m) skeleton was auctioned after researchers confirmed it belongs to a distinct genus in October. The Late Cretaceous carnivore was expected to fetch at least $9 million but surprisingly surpassed expectations.
Jodi was found by rancher Jodi Pierson on her Montana land in the Hell Creek Formation, a heavily studied geological site. Scientists debated whether dinosaur remains should be sold privately or displayed publicly, as this sale reignited the discussion. Sotheby's described Jodi as an "excellent exhibition-ready" skeleton, with around 191 fossil-bone elements and a beautifully preserved skull.
The auction house stated that Nanotyrannus is one of only three such skeletons known to science. The specimen is the second-most valuable dinosaur fossil ever sold, behind Gus, a Tyrannosaurus rex sold for $50.1 million in July. The auction has sparked discussions about the future of fossil collecting and its impact on scientific research and public education.
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