Rare Nanotyrannus Dinosaur Skeleton Unveiled at Sotheby's Ahead of Auction
The fossil, nicknamed 'Jodi,' represents a distinct genus that coexisted with Tyrannosaurus rex and is estimated to fetch between $6 million and $9 million.
A rare Nanotyrannus dinosaur skeleton, nicknamed "Jodi," has been put on display at Sotheby's New York headquarters before its auction on October 27. The fossil represents a distinct genus of dinosaur that lived alongside the Tyrannosaurus rex, challenging previous assumptions that T. rex was the sole apex predator of the Cretaceous period.
The Nanotyrannus, standing 6.5 feet tall and stretching nearly 20 feet long, is one of only three such skeletons known to exist. Its proportions differ significantly from a T. rex, featuring longer arms and legs, and more slender, blade-like teeth compared to the T. rex's thick, banana-shaped teeth.
Sotheby's has described "Jodi" as the "finest and most complete" Nanotyrannus skeleton available, with approximately 70% of the specimen intact, including a nearly complete skull and a jaw with about 35 teeth. The fossil was discovered in 2019 by Montana rancher Jodi Pierson on her land and was featured in the Discovery Channel series "Dino Hunters" in 2020.
Scientific debate regarding the Nanotyrannus has persisted for decades. Early discoveries, such as the "Cleveland Skull" from 1942, led to speculation that these specimens were merely juvenile T. rexes. However, recent research, including the examination of growth rings in fossilized bones, has concluded that Nanotyrannus individuals were fully grown adults, distinct from the T. rex.
Cassandra Hatton, a vice chair at Sotheby's, explained that Nanotyrannus and T. rex occupied different ecological niches, similar to how a lion and cheetah hunt different prey. She suggested that T. rex may have preyed upon Nanotyrannus.
The Nanotyrannus fossil was found approximately 8 miles from the site where the "Dueling Dinosaurs" fossil, depicting a Nanotyrannus and a Triceratops, was unearthed in 2006. While another nearly 100% complete Nanotyrannus specimen, nicknamed "Bloody Mary," is housed at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and is not for sale, the third known skeleton is at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Illinois.
The sale of "Jodi" has drawn criticism from groups like the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, which advocates for significant fossils to be housed in public institutions for research and display. However, Sotheby's argues that private collectors and hunters play a crucial role in discovering and preserving such fossils when public institutions have limited resources for extensive fieldwork.
This auction follows Sotheby's sale of a T. rex fossil for a record $50.1 million earlier in the year. The Nanotyrannus skeleton is estimated to sell for between $6 million and $9 million.