A remarkably preserved skeleton of Nanotyrannus, a smaller relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, has sold at a New York auction for $US47.3 million (approximately $A67.9 million), making it the second most valuable fossil ever to go under the hammer. The sale, which followed a 12-minute bidding war between six competing buyers, shattered pre-sale estimates of between $US6 million and $US9 million.

The specimen, nicknamed Jodi, is one of only three relatively complete Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science, a scarcity that experts say almost certainly contributed to the extraordinary final price. The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed.

What We Know About the Jodi Skeleton

Jodi stands 9.6 feet (2.9 metres) tall and stretches 19.6 feet (5.9 metres) in length, making it just over half as long as Gus, the T. rex skeleton whose record-breaking $US50.1 million sale in July set the current benchmark for fossil auctions. Jodi's sale price came close to that record but fell just short.

The specimen comprises 191 bone elements and features a virtually complete skull, which the auction house described as exceptionally well preserved. Any missing bones have been replaced with custom 3D-printed and sculpted components. Crucially, the fossil was offered with full rights, meaning it contains no copyrighted elements sourced from other dinosaur specimens. This allows the new owner to produce and sell replicas to museums or private collectors.

Jodi is considered an adult based on its overall size and bone development. It was discovered in 2019 by Montana rancher Jodi Pierson, after whom it was named, and was excavated by commercial paleontologist Clayton Phipps, widely known in fossil circles as the "Dinosaur Cowboy."

A Species at the Centre of Scientific Debate

The sale has reignited discussion about Nanotyrannus itself, a dinosaur whose very existence as a distinct species remains one of paleontology's more contentious questions. For years, many researchers argued that Nanotyrannus fossils were simply juvenile T. rex specimens rather than a separate animal. More recent scientific work has begun to tip the balance toward recognising it as its own species, though the debate is far from closed.

Jodi comes from the Hell Creek Formation, a fossil-rich geological stretch spanning Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. This same region yielded one of the first T. rex skeletons ever found, back in 1902, and remains one of the world's most productive dinosaur excavation zones. In 2006, Phipps unearthed another celebrated find not far from Jodi's site: the "Dueling Dinosaurs," a fossil depicting what appears to be a Triceratops and a smaller tyrannosaur, now identified as a Nanotyrannus, locked in combat. That specimen is currently housed at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

The third known complete Nanotyrannus skeleton, named Jane, is on public display at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois.

Scientists Raise Alarm Over Private Sales of Significant Fossils

The auction has drawn sharp criticism from the paleontological community, with researchers warning that high-value private sales effectively remove irreplaceable specimens from public access and scientific study.

Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh, described the situation as troubling. "We've really just found out that Nanotyrannus is real, and now one of the best skeletons is about to be sold to the highest bidder," he said. "It's harrowing to think it could disappear into the vaults of a collector rather than displayed in a museum where it can wow and inspire kids and families and the public at large."

David Hone, a paleontologist and reader in zoology at Queen Mary University of London, said he was surprised the final price climbed so far above the estimates. "It does feel like this is a bubble of prices on dinosaurs which must burst at some point," he said, adding that the specimen's full scientific value could not be properly assessed without thorough expert study.

Whether Jodi ends up on public display or in a private collection remains unknown, as the buyer has not been identified.