The Discovery
Professional fossil hunters unearthed a rare dinosaur skeleton in 2019 on a Montana ranch owned by Jodi Pierson. Nicknamed "Jodi" after the property owner, the specimen represents one of only three known skeletons of Nanotyrannus. The excavation was featured in 2020 on the Discovery Channel documentary series "Dino Hunters." Standing 9 feet 6 inches tall and measuring nearly 20 feet long, the fossil is estimated to be almost 70 percent complete and had been displayed at Sotheby's headquarters in upper Manhattan.
What Scientists Found
For decades, researchers debated whether Nanotyrannus was a distinct dinosaur or merely a young T. rex. Research published last year confirmed that it was indeed a separate genus and a distant relative of T. rex. Both dinosaurs inhabited the planet during the Cretaceous period about 67 million years ago. While Nanotyrannus was roughly half the length of an adult T. rex, it possessed distinct physical traits:
- Relatively longer forelimbs
- Larger hand claws
- Narrower, blade-like teeth
Why It Matters
The fossil was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York for $47.3 million to an unidentified buyer. Outcompeting five other online and phone bidders in a 12-minute auction, the sale far exceeded the auction house's initial estimate of $6 million to $9 million. This transaction makes "Jodi" the second-most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold, behind a T. rex skeleton named "Gus" that fetched $50.1 million earlier in the summer.
The high-profile transaction has highlighted opposing views on private fossil auctions. Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, praised the excavators for their dedication to studying and preserving the specimen. However, some scientists criticized the private sale, arguing that significant fossils belong in public museums or research institutions where academics can study them and the public can view them.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 28, 2026 · Photo by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash
