Nanotyrannus skeleton sells for $47.3m at New York auction

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 28 Oct, 03:45 · Archive

A Nanotyrannus skeleton nicknamed Jodi sold for $47.3m at Sotheby's in New York, making it the second most valuable dinosaur fossil ever auctioned.

A skeleton of a Nanotyrannus dinosaur, nicknamed Jodi, sold at Sotheby's in New York on Tuesday for $47.3m (£35.5m), making it the second most valuable dinosaur fossil ever auctioned. An anonymous buyer secured the specimen after a 12-minute bidding battle involving six bidders competing online and by phone. Sotheby's had estimated the skeleton would fetch between $6m and $9m.

Jodi was discovered in 2019 by Montana rancher Jodi Pierson on her privately owned land in the Hell Creek Formation in Garfield County, near Jordan. The skeleton measures 19.6 feet from nose to tail and stands approximately 9.6 feet tall on its display armature. It comprises around 191 fossil bone elements and is considered roughly 70 per cent complete. Sotheby's described it as "exhibition-ready" with a "beautifully preserved, virtually complete skull". One of only three such Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science, it is the first to come to market since the genus was formally confirmed.

For decades, palaeontologists debated whether Nanotyrannus was simply a young Tyrannosaurus rex. Research published last autumn finally established that the two are separate species, with more than 150 anatomical differences between them. Analysis of Jodi's bone development indicates it was a fully grown adult, despite being roughly half the length of a mature T. rex. According to palaeontologist Megan Jacobs of the University of Portsmouth, Nanotyrannus is "a lot smaller and a lot more gracile", with "blade-like teeth for slicing through meat".

The sale has reignited debate in the scientific community about whether dinosaur remains should be sold privately or displayed publicly. The auction comes a year after Sotheby's sold a Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus for a record $50.1m in July. A Stegosaurus named Apex sold for $44.6m in July 2024, making Jodi the second-most valuable dinosaur fossil ever sold.

How it is being reported

• Dinosaur skeleton once mistaken for Tyrannosaurus Rex sells for whopping $47.3million at auctionA fossil skeleton once believed to be a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex fetched a staggering $47.3million (approximately £35.5m) at a private auction. Scientists confirmed the specimen, nicknamed "Jodi", actually belongs to an entirely separate dinosaur genus known as Nanotyrannus. Jodi sold to an anonymous buyer who beat five rival bidders in a fiercely contested auction. For decades, palaeontologists debated whether Nanotyrannus was simply a young T Rex rather than a distinct species. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Research published last autumn finally settled the matter, establishing that…GB News · 28 Oct, 02:40
• Rare Nanotyrannus skeleton, sells for $47.3m at New York auctionSale 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 Tuesday for $47.3m, “after a twelve-minute bidding battle that saw six bidders compete online and over the phones, before ultimately selling on the phone,” Sotheby’s said in a statement. Continue…Guardian World · 27 Oct, 21:16
• Nanotyrannus skeleton goes to auction in New York with £4.5m price tagThe auction of the rare skeleton comes amid debate in the scientific community about whether dinosaur remains should end up in private hands or public view.BBC Science · 27 Oct, 13:23

In this story: Jodi Pierson · Nanotyrannus · Sotheby's · Megan Jacobs · University of Portsmouth · Hell Creek Formation · Montana · New York

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