Nanotyrannus Skeleton Sells for 47.3 Million Dollars in New York

A rare dinosaur skeleton identified as Nanotyrannus sold for $47.3 million at Sotheby's in New York on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, making it the second-most expensive dinosaur fossil ever auctioned. The sale of the specimen, nicknamed Jodi, has renewed concerns among scientists about whether significant fossils will remain accessible for public display and research.

The mounted skeleton stands approximately 10 feet (3 meters) tall and contains about 191 fossil-bone elements, according to Sotheby's. The auction house described it as an "excellent exhibition-ready" specimen with a "beautifully preserved, virtually complete skull."

Sotheby's also called the fossil "one of only three such skeletons known to science." The specimen had been expected to sell for at least $9 million, and its buyer's identity has not been disclosed following 12 minutes of competition among six interested parties.

The $47.3 million sale places Jodi behind a Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus, which sold for $50.1 million in July. A Stegosaurus named Apex ranks third after selling for $44.6 million at Sotheby's in July 2024.

Megan Jenkins, a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth, explained that scientists had long classified Nanotyrannus specimens as potentially immature Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Nanotyrannus "was for a very long time believed to be sort of a teenager of T. rex".

Jenkins highlighted physical differences between the two dinosaurs, including the smaller build and slender proportions of Nanotyrannus.

"But it's a lot smaller and its a lot more gracile. So it's very sort-of sleek, slender, [with] blade-like teeth for slicing through meat," Jenkins said.

Both Tyrannosaurus rex and Nanotyrannus lived during the Late Cretaceous period approximately 67 million years ago. Jodi was initially exhibited as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex at London's Frieze Masters international art fair in October 2023, before researchers formally classified Nanotyrannus as a distinct genus.

The fossil was discovered by rancher Jodi Pierson on her land in Montana's Hell Creek Formation and later excavated by commercial paleontologist Clayton Phipps. Phipps also discovered the "Dueling Dinosaurs" fossil in 2006, approximately eight miles (13 kilometers) away.

The "Dueling Dinosaurs" specimen contains the remains of a Nanotyrannus and a Triceratops apparently engaged in combat. Research by Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli used evidence from the discovery to support the classification of Nanotyrannus as distinct from Tyrannosaurus rex, ending decades of scientific debate over the relationship between the dinosaurs.

Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh and consultant on the Jurassic Park films, criticized the possibility that Jodi could disappear into a private collection. Following the earlier sale of Gus, he described the auction as "concerning".

Brusatte questioned whether public institutions could compete financially with wealthy private collectors, saying, "Imagine if the Mona Lisa was just owned by a super-wealthy person and it wasn't on display and people couldn't see it, couldn't enjoy it." He said such sales could undermine scientific research and public education.

Responding to Jodi's sale, Brusatte called the prospect of losing public access "harrowing".

"We've really just found out that Nanotyrannus is real, and now one of the best skeletons is about to be sold to the highest bidder, and it's harrowing to think it could disappear into the vaults of a collector rather than displayed on a museum where it can wow and inspire kids and families and the public at large," Brusatte told the BBC.

Jenkins acknowledged concerns about private ownership while recognizing the resources required to excavate and prepare significant fossil specimens. She said, "I don't begrudge the people involved for wanting to sell it for such a large amount of money," while discussing the financial considerations surrounding fossil discoveries.

She also expressed hope that privately purchased specimens could eventually reach public institutions.

"Although its a scary prospect, actually a lot of them have ended up in the public eye... these things without a doubt will end end up in a museum at some point," Jenkins said.