Nanotyrannus Skeleton Jodi Sells for $47.3 Million

A Nanotyrannus skeleton known as Jodi sold at Sotheby’s New York for $47.3 million, including fees, making it the second-highest-priced dinosaur skeleton sold at auction, according to the auction house. The sale price exceeded the fossil’s estimate of $6 million to $9 million. Its reported hammer price, before fees, was $40.5 million. The only higher price cited for a dinosaur skeleton was the $50.1 million paid for a Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus earlier this year. Sotheby’s said the winning bidder remained anonymous after competing against five other bidders during a live auction that lasted about 12 minutes. The buyer’s identity and plans for displaying the fossil or providing research access have not been announced. Jodi is one of only three known Nanotyrannus skeletons, Sotheby’s said, and is about 70% complete. The specimen is nearly 20 feet long and about 6.5 feet tall. It was discovered in Montana in 2019 by rancher Jodi Pierson, after whom it was named. The sale follows a shift in the scientific understanding of Nanotyrannus. For decades, researchers debated whether it was a distinct dinosaur or a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. A study published last year identified...