Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Oct 27

Nanotyrannus Skeleton Sells for $47.3 Million, Ranking Second Only to $50.1 Million T. Rex

Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Oct 27

Nanotyrannus Skeleton Sells for $47.3 Million, Ranking Second Only to $50.1 Million T. Rex

Q: Who bought the $47.3 million Nanotyrannus, and will one of the rarest dinosaur skeletons stay visible to science and the public?

The buyer has not been publicly identified, and there is no assurance yet that the $47.3 million Nanotyrannus will remain accessible to scientists or the public. Sotheby’s said only that “Jodi” sold after a 12-minute bidding fight among six parties, ultimately to an anonymous bidder. Reports indicate the winning bids came by phone and online, but the auction house did not disclose the purchaser’s name or any plans for the fossil’s long-term display. That uncertainty is why the sale has alarmed many paleontologists. Jodi is one of only three relatively complete Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science, and it became especially important after researchers recently confirmed Nanotyrannus as a distinct genus rather than merely a juvenile T. rex. Experts such as Steve Brusatte have warned that if the specimen enters a private collection, it could effectively vanish from research and public view. At present, the outlook is unknown. The new owner could lend or donate Jodi to a museum, keep it on public display, or hold it privately. Other major Nanotyrannus specimens are already in public institutions, including the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Burpee Museum of Natural History, which is why scientists argue this newly sold skeleton is too important to lose access to. So the short answer is: the buyer remains a mystery, and whether Jodi stays visible to science and the public depends entirely on what that buyer does next.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Oct 27

$47.3 million bought “Jodi” at Sotheby’s in New York after 12 minutes of bidding among six parties, far above the skeleton’s $9 million estimate.
The roughly 10-foot specimen gained fresh market cachet after researchers last year confirmed it was a distinct Nanotyrannus genus, not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
Sotheby’s called Jodi one of only three such skeletons known to science, with 191 fossil elements and a nearly complete skull; the buyer was not disclosed.
The sale makes Jodi the second-most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold, behind Sotheby’s $50.1 million T. rex “Gus” in July and ahead of the $44.6 million Stegosaurus “Apex.”
That price has revived a scientific dispute over private fossil sales, with critics warning key specimens could vanish from public study just as Nanotyrannus has been firmly recognized.