Rare Nanotyrannus Sells at Auction for $47.3 Million, Becoming Second Most Valuable Fossil Ever
The nearly complete fossil drew five bidders and topped Sotheby’s $9 million estimate after research confirmed Nanotyrannus as a distinct genus.
- On Tuesday, a 67-million-year-old Nanotyrannus skeleton named Jodi sold at Sotheby's New York for $47.3 million, surpassing the auction house's $9 million high estimate by more than five times.
- Discovered in 2019 by Montana rancher Jodi Pierson in the Hell Creek Formation, the skeleton was formerly known as Chomper before recent research confirmed it as a distinct genus rather than a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
- Stretching nearly 20 feet and considered almost 70% complete, the rare specimen is one of only three known Nanotyrannus skeletons, making it the second-priciest dinosaur fossil ever sold behind the $50.1 million record set by Gus.
- A mystery buyer purchased the fossil after outbidding five others during a roughly 12-minute live auction, an outcome Sotheby's head of science and natural history Cassandra Hatton said reflects commitment to preserving remarkable specimens.
- Paleontologists worry that scientifically important fossils are increasingly disappearing into private collections, though auction houses argue private investment funds essential excavation work, with critics maintaining such specimens should remain accessible to researchers and the public.
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53 Articles
A skeleton of Nanotyrannus, a newly discovered dinosaur, has been sold at auction for nearly $50 million, reports the BBC.
A dinosaur fossil that looks like a mini T. rex just sold to a mystery buyer for a giant $47 million
The rare skeleton of a Nanotyrannus, a distant cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex, sold for $47.3 million to a mystery buyer at auction in New York City on Tuesday.
Dinosaur's Price Skyrocketed in 12 'Thrilling' Minutes of Bidding
A once-missidentified "teenage T. rex" just netted an adult-sized price. The mounted skeleton of a newly recognized species, Nanotyrannus, sold at Sotheby's in New York for $47.3 million. That makes it the second-most dinosaur ever released after a Tyrannosaurus rex called "Gus." The AP reports that "Jodi"—named for...
Sotheby’s Sells “Jodi” the Nanotyrannus for $47.3 Million, Reigniting the Fossil Ownership Debate
The 67-million-year-old skeleton, shown at Frieze Masters in 2023 as a juvenile T. rex with a $20 million asking price, drew six bidders and now ranks as the second-most-valuable dinosaur ever sold at auction. With fossils increasingly showing up in the international art market, sales like this one raise questions about speculation, scientific rights and the ethics of private ownership.
THE skeleton of a nanotyrannus named Jodi, once thought to be a young T-Rex, has been sold for $47.3 million. The sale has sparked a debate about whether fossils should be sold to private collectors.
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