Rare Nanotyrannus skeleton named Jodi sells for $47.3 million at New York auction

A record‑breaking sale

On Tuesday, 27 October 2026, Sotheby’s in New York sold a mounted skeleton of the dinosaur Nanotyrannus for $47.3 million. The specimen, nicknamed Jodi after the discoverer, is a small relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex that lived about 67 million years ago. The auction concluded after a 12‑minute bidding war involving six participants, with the final bid placed over the phone.

The skeleton measures roughly 19.6 ft (6 m) from snout to tail and stands about 9.6 ft (3 m) tall on its armature. It comprises approximately 191 fossil bone elements, including a well‑preserved skull. Sotheby’s had initially priced the piece between $6 million and $9 million, but the final price made Jodi the second‑most valuable dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction, behind a Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus.

The buyer has not been publicly identified.

Background

The skeleton was uncovered in 2019 by rancher Jodi Pierson on her privately owned land in the Hell Creek Formation, Garfield County, Montana, near Jordan. Commercial palaeontologist Clayton Phipps later excavated the remains. The specimen was first displayed in October 2023 at London’s Frieze Masters art fair, where it was presented as a juvenile T. rex. In October 2025, US researchers published a paper that confirmed Nanotyrannus as a distinct genus, ending a long debate over whether the fossils represented a young T. rex.

Nanotyrannus is one of only three known skeletons of its kind. The specimen’s discovery and subsequent excavation were praised by Cassandra Hatton, vice‑chairman and Worldwide Head of Science & Natural History at Sotheby’s, who thanked the team for their expertise in preserving Jodi.

Why it matters

The sale has reignited a debate within the scientific community about the appropriate ownership of dinosaur fossils. Some palaeontologists argue that such specimens should remain in public institutions where they can be studied and displayed for educational purposes, while others contend that private ownership can provide resources for further research.

The auction follows the sale of a Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus for $50.1 million in July 2026 and a Stegosaurus named Apex for $44.6 million in July 2024, placing Jodi among the most expensive fossils ever sold.

What happens next

Sotheby’s has not disclosed the identity of the buyer, and no further steps regarding the skeleton’s future location or display have been announced. The sale underscores the growing market for high‑value fossils and the ongoing discussion about their stewardship.