Nanotyrannus skeleton Jodi, USA News (New York): A fossil skeleton once believed to be a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex fetched a staggering $47.3 million (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. Research published last autumn finally settled the matter, establishing that more than 150 anatomical differences separate the smaller predator from its celebrated larger relative.
Montana rancher Jodi Pierson unearthed the dinosaur in 2019 when she stumbled upon the remains on her privately owned land in the Hell Creek Formation, Garfield County, near the town of Jordan. Stretching nearly 20 feet from snout to tail and standing approximately 9.6 feet tall on its display armature, the skeleton comprises around 191 individual fossil bone elements and is considered roughly 70 per cent complete. It was exhibited at Sotheby’s Upper Manhattan headquarters earlier this month ahead of the sale.
Jodi is one of just three substantial Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science, and the first to reach the open market since the genus was formally confirmed last year. Analysis of the skeleton’s bone development indicates it belonged to a fully grown adult, despite being roughly half the length of a mature T Rex. Nanotyrannus was a swift, highly specialised meat-eating tyrannosaurid that roamed the Earth alongside its more famous cousin during the late Cretaceous period, some 67 million years ago. Though the two predators shared the same era, they differed markedly in their anatomy.
The smaller species had proportionally longer forelimbs and larger hand claws, along with narrower, blade-like teeth, unlike the robust dentition of T Rex. These and scores of other morphological distinctions ultimately convinced researchers that Nanotyrannus warranted classification as its own genus rather than a growth stage of its larger relative.
The final hammer price vastly outstripped Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of between $6 million and $9 million, with the result decided after a twelve-minute bidding war that saw six competitors vying online and by telephone. According to Sotheby’s, this extraordinary sum makes Jodi the second most valuable dinosaur skeleton ever to change hands at auction. Only one set of prehistoric bones has commanded a higher figure: a T Rex specimen known as “Gus,” which sold for a record-breaking $50.1 million at Sotheby’s earlier this summer. The winning bidder, who secured the lot by phone, has so far chosen to keep their identity private.
The sale has drawn criticism from some in the scientific community, who argue that commercially traded fossils risk being locked away from researchers and the public. Professor of evolutionary paleoecology at Syracuse University Linda Ivany told the New York Times: “These amazing fossils should stay in the public sphere for scientists to study, for children to be awed and inspired, and for everyone to be able to marvel at worlds long past and what we can learn from them.”
Sotheby’s Vice Chairman and head of science and natural history, Cassandra Hatton, struck a different tone, praising the excavation team’s dedication. She said: “Their commitment to understanding and preserving this remarkable specimen has helped bring us to this moment, a testament to the fact that we can all make major contributions to science.”
