A rare fossil skeleton nicknamed "Jodi" has gone on display in the lobby of Sotheby's headquarters in Manhattan ahead of an October 27 auction. Discovered in 2019 by rancher Jodi Pierson on her land in Montana, the excavation was featured on the 2020 television series "Dino Hunters." Standing 6.5 feet tall and stretching nearly 20 feet long, the fossil belongs to a Nanotyrannus, a nimbler, smaller cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Discovery

For decades, scientists debated whether Nanotyrannus fossils were a distinct genus or simply young T. rex dinosaurs. That debate originated with the 1942 discovery of a skull housed in Cleveland. In October 2025, new research analyzing bone growth rings confirmed that the specimens were fully developed adults, proving the dinosaur was a separate genus that lived around 67 million years ago.

What Scientists Found

Researchers identified more than 150 physical differences between Nanotyrannus and T. rex:

  • An adult Nanotyrannus was roughly half the length of an adult T. rex, possessing longer forelimbs and larger hand claws.
  • Its jaw held roughly 50 slender, blade-like teeth built for slashing faster prey, unlike the thick, bone-crushing teeth of a T. rex.
  • The "Jodi" fossil is almost 70 percent complete and includes a virtually complete skull.

Why It Matters

The findings prove that T. rex was not the sole apex predator of its era. Both species lived alongside each other and filled distinct ecological roles, similar to lions and cheetahs today. "Jodi" is one of only three known Nanotyrannus skeletons in existence. The estimated auction price for the fossil is not specified in the source; please check the official notice.

The planned sale has reignited a debate between researchers and commercial fossil collectors. Members of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology contend that important fossils must be placed in public institutions where they remain available for study, while auction organizers argue that private diggers provide critical support for field discovery and scientific preservation.

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Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 15, 2026 · Photo by Kyle Bushnell on Unsplash