Nanotyrannus fossil sells for $47.3 million at New York auction

A rare Nanotyrannus skeleton, nicknamed “Jodi,” sold for $47.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City, far exceeding the initial estimate of $6 million to $9 million. The sale makes the specimen the second most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold, following a T. rex fossil named “Gus” which fetched $50.1 million earlier this summer.

Discovered in 2019 by Montana rancher Jodi Pierson, the skeleton is approximately 70% complete and features 191 fossilized bone elements, including a well-preserved skull. The Nanotyrannus is a distant cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex that lived approximately 67 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. It was roughly half the length of an adult T. rex and possessed longer forelimbs and more slender teeth.

Scientific debate regarding whether Nanotyrannus is a distinct genus or a juvenile T. rex has persisted for nearly a century, with recent findings confirming it as a separate relative. This specimen is one of only three substantial skeletons of its kind known to science. The identity of the anonymous buyer remains undisclosed after a 12-minute bidding process.