Miniature T. rex cousin sells for $47.3 million in New York

A skeleton of a small dinosaur sold for $47.3 million at a New York City auction on Tuesday.

The specimen, known as Jodi, belongs to a Nanotyrannus, a creature that lived during the Cretaceous period about 67 million years ago. It stands 9 feet 6 inches tall and stretches nearly 20 feet long. The bones are considered almost 70% complete.

Jodi was found in 2019 on the land of Montana rancher Jodi Pierson. A team of professional fossil hunters excavated the specimen. Their work was featured in the 2020 Discovery Channel series Dino Hunters. Sotheby's, which handled the sale, said the dinosaur has been on display at its upper Manhattan headquarters since earlier this month.

The auction house estimated the skeleton would bring in between $6 million and $9 million. Five other bidders competed against the winner. The final sale took place during a live auction that lasted roughly 12 minutes. The new owner has not revealed their identity. The price makes Jodi the second most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever sold. A T. rex fossil named Gus set the current record at $50.1 million earlier this year at the same auction house.

Scientists previously debated whether Nanotyrannus was a distinct species or simply a young T. rex. Research published last year confirmed it is a separate genus. The smaller dinosaur had longer forelimbs and larger hand claws than its famous cousin. Its teeth were also more slender and blade-like.

Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, commented on the sale. She said, "Their commitment to understanding and preserving this remarkable specimen has helped bring us to this moment, a testament to the fact that we can all make major contributions to science." Some scientists have argued that such fossils should remain in museums for public viewing and research rather than being sold to private collectors.