A mounted skeleton of a Nanotyrannus dinosaur, nicknamed Jodi, fetched $47.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday. The roughly 10-foot-tall specimen exceeded initial estimates of at least $9 million, selling after approximately 12 minutes of bidding among six interested parties. The buyer’s identity remains undisclosed.
Jodi represents one of only three known Nanotyrannus skeletons and features approximately 191 fossil-bone elements with a well-preserved skull. The sale occurred a year after researchers confirmed that the skeleton belonged to a distinct genus rather than being a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, as previously believed. This marks the first Nanotyrannus specimen to come to market since the genus was scientifically classified. The dinosaur becomes the second-most valuable fossil ever sold, trailing only a Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus that sold for $50.1 million in July.
Nanotyrannus was significantly smaller and more slender than its contemporary T. rex, featuring blade-like teeth adapted for slicing meat. Both species coexisted approximately 67 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. The skeleton was discovered in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation by rancher Jodi Pierson and was initially exhibited as a juvenile T. rex at London’s Frieze Masters art fair before its reclassification.
The high-profile sale has intensified ongoing scientific debate regarding private versus public ownership of paleontological specimens. Some researchers express concern that such expensive acquisitions may result in fossils being removed from public access and museum displays, potentially hindering scientific research and public education. Other paleontologists note that substantial investment in excavation and preservation justifies commercial sales, while remaining optimistic that specimens ultimately find their way into public institutions.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI