[REVISION HISTORY]

Nanotyrannus fossil auction

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2026-10-27 22:04 UTC → 2026-10-28 10:05 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The dinosaur fossil nicknamed ‘Jodi’ underwent a significant valuation shift following scientific reclassification. Originally presented as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex with an asking price of $20 million, a 2025 study published in the journal Nature identified the specimen as a Nanotyrannus, a distinct and smaller relative of the T-Rex. Following this reclassification, Sotheby’s adjusted its auction estimate for the specimen to between six and nine million dollars. However, during the auction in New York City, the fossil sold for $47.3 million, significantly exceeding the revised estimates. The sale, which followed a 12-minute bidding war involving six contenders, established ‘Jodi’ as the second-most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever sold, trailing only the T. rex skeleton ‘Gus,’ which fetched $50.1 million earlier this year. Discovered in 2019 by Montana rancher Jodi Pierson in the Hell Creek ~~Formation,~~ Formation and excavated by commercial paleontologist Clayton Phipps, the skeleton is approximately ~~70% complete~~ 20 feet long and ~~consists~~ 6.5 feet tall. It is roughly 70% complete, consisting of 191 bone ~~elements.~~ elements, including a “virtually complete” skull. The high price tag has reignited discussions within the scientific community regarding the ethics of private collectors acquiring significant paleontological finds versus preserving them in public museums for research and education.

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