Miniature T. rex fossil sells for $47 million

A skeleton of a small dinosaur sold for $47.3 million at an auction in New York City on Tuesday. The price makes the fossil, known as Jodi, the second most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever sold.

The specimen is a Nanotyrannus. Recent research confirmed that this creature is a distinct genus and a distant cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex, rather than just a juvenile T. rex. The Nanotyrannus was about half the length of an adult T. rex. The two animals lived together during the Cretaceous period, approximately 67 million years ago.

Jodi stands 9 feet 6 inches tall and stretches nearly 20 feet long. The fossil is about 70% complete. It is one of only three known skeletons of its kind. The specimen has been on display at the Sotheby’s upper Manhattan headquarters since earlier this month.

Sotheby’s estimated the fossil would sell for between $6 million and $9 million. The final bid exceeded that range by a large margin. A mystery buyer won the item after outbidding five other competitors. The auction lasted roughly 12 minutes. The winner chose to remain anonymous.

The dinosaur is named after Jodi Pierson, a Montana rancher. She discovered the fossil on her land in 2019. A team of professional fossil hunters excavated the specimen. Their work was featured in the Discovery Channel series Dino Hunters in 2020.

Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby’s, commented on the sale. “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,” she said.

Some scientists have argued against private sales of major fossils. They believe such specimens should be housed in museums or research institutions. This would allow researchers to study the bones and the public to view them. The new owner of Jodi has not yet announced plans for its display.