The sale of the 10-foot-tall skeleton sparked a bidding war in New York, according to reporting by BBC journalist Angus Thomson. Held on October 27 at Sotheby’s, the auction underlined a growing market trend for high-value prehistoric remains that continues to draw scrutiny from the scientific community.
Discovery in Montana and the Path to a New Species
The fossil’s journey to the auction block began on private land in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation, a region renowned for dinosaur fossil discoveries, where landowner Jody Pearson uncovered the remains. Commercial paleontologist Clayton Phipps subsequently excavated the skeleton. Phipps is also known for discovering the world-famous fighting dinosaurs fossil in 2006 roughly 13 kilometers away from Jodie’s discovery site, which featured a Nanotyrannus and a Triceratops locked in combat.
With only three Nanotyrannus skeletons known to exist, Jodi is an exceptionally important scientific specimen. Clayton Phipps, aka ‘the Dinosaur Cowboy,' and Peter Larson, President of the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research have devoted themselves to rescuing fossils… pic.twitter.com/BIyUH5YKRx
— https://x.com/Sothebys/status/2112993143314337864
For decades, scientists debated whether Nanotyrannus represented a distinct genus or merely a juvenile stage of the Tyrannosaurus rex. However, research published by Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli utilized fossil evidence to confirm that Nanotyrannus is indeed a separate species.
This is T. rex-i-fied, but it’s much smaller. Its body is slender and long, and it has knife-like, sharp teeth that are suited for slicing meat.
Megan Jacobs, paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth
Fossil Preparation and Auction Standing
Sotheby’s prepared the specimen extensively for public exhibition, assembling approximately 191 fossilized bone fragments. Prior to its sale, the skeleton was exhibited in London in October 2023 at the Frieze Masters international art fair, where it was still introduced as a juvenile T. rex.
Scientific Debate Over Private Fossil Sales
The transactions have reignited discussions among scientists regarding the commercial trade of vertebrate fossils. Researchers have voiced concerns to the BBC that rare specimens risk becoming locked away in private collections rather than remaining accessible for ongoing study in public museums.
Despite these worries, paleontologists like Jacobs have observed that major specimens frequently end up in public institutions over time, expressing confidence that Jodie will eventually find a home in a museum exhibition.