Nanotyrannus Skeleton Sells for $47.3 Million

A rare Nanotyrannus skeleton nicknamed Jodi sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $47.3 million, making it the second-most expensive dinosaur fossil ever auctioned, behind the T. rex Gus. The roughly 67-million-year-old specimen is one of only three relatively complete Nanotyrannus skeletons known and includes about 191 fossil elements and a nearly complete skull; its buyer has not been identified. The sale followed recent research supporting Nanotyrannus as a distinct dinosaur rather than a juvenile T. rex, a classification that had long been disputed. The record-setting price has renewed debate over whether scientifically significant fossils should be sold to private collectors or remain accessible to museums and the public.