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Nanotyrannus dinosaur fossil auction

Overview

A rare Nanotyrannus dinosaur skeleton nicknamed ‘Jodi’ was put on public display at Sotheby’s headquarters in Manhattan in mid-October 2026. The specimen, which is approximately 67 million years old and 70 percent intact, had been the subject of scientific debate. Research conducted in late 2025 concluded that Nanotyrannus is a distinct genus rather than a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, based on bone growth ring analysis.

On October 27, 2026, the skeleton was auctioned with an initial estimated value between $6 million and $9 million. The fossil ultimately sold for $47.3 million, significantly exceeding its estimates. The sale followed a 12-minute bidding war involving six interested parties, though the identity of the winning buyer remains anonymous. While the sale price was record-breaking, it did not surpass the $50.1 million paid for a T-rex specimen named Gus in July 2026. This sale makes the Jodi specimen the second most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold.

Discovered in 2019 by Jodi Pierson on a ranch in Montana’s Hell Creek formation, the specimen is approximately 6 meters long and 2.9 meters tall, consisting of 191 fossilized bone elements including a well-preserved skull. As one of only three substantial skeletons of its kind known to science, the sale has prompted concerns among some scientists regarding the potential for rare fossils to become inaccessible to the scientific community if acquired by private collectors.

Entities

Sotheby’s · Nanotyrannus · Montana · Jodi Pierson · Manhattan

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 4 sources
    Nanotyrannus fossil sells for $47.3 million at New York auction

    A Nanotyrannus fossil nicknamed “Jodi” sold for $47.3 million at a New York auction, becoming the second most expensive dinosaur skeleton ever sold.

  2. [BUSINESS] 9 sources
    Nanotyrannus fossil Jodi sells for $47.3 million at Sotheby’s

    A rare Nanotyrannus fossil named Jodi sold for $47.3 million at a New York auction, marking the second-highest price for a dinosaur fossil and sparking debate over private ownership of scientific specimens.

  3. [CULTURE] 6 sources
    Nanotyrannus dinosaur skeleton goes on display in Manhattan

    A rare Nanotyrannus dinosaur skeleton is on display at Sotheby’s in Manhattan ahead of an October 27 auction, following scientific confirmation that it is a distinct genus from T. rex.

Sources

blikk.hu · canal44.com · cnn.iprima.cz · expres.sk · kurierwilenski.lt · quo.eldiario.es · rpp.pe · saobentoemfoco.com.br · sdpnoticias.com · SeznamZpravy.cz · startitup.sk · veja.abril.com.br · whec.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history