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Nanotyrannus dinosaur fossil auction

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2026-10-31 04:47 UTC → 2026-10-31 18:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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. ~~The~~ 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.

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