Rare Nanotyrannus Skeleton Jodi Sells for $47.3 Million to Mystery Buyer

A rare Nanotyrannus skeleton nicknamed “Jodi” has sold for US$47.3 million to a mystery buyer at an auction in New York on Tuesday, according to Sotheby’s.

The sale makes the fossil one of the world’s most expensive, while giving it the second-priciest auction record for a set of dinosaur bones.

Fossil’s identity adds to its significance

The dinosaur resembles a miniature T. rex, but the fossil’s scientific identity has recently been reassessed.

Nanotyrannus was recently confirmed to be a distant cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex rather than simply a young specimen of the same dinosaur.

That distinction places the skeleton in a different scientific category from the interpretation that it was an immature T. rex.

Sotheby’s had estimated that the fossil would sell for between US$6 million and US$9 million.

Its final price was therefore well above the auction house’s estimate.

The sale also highlights the market value attached to rare dinosaur fossils, especially one that combines a distinctive appearance with a recently confirmed classification.

Source: South China Morning Post