In brief
The mounted skeleton of a newly‑identified dinosaur, nicknamed Jodi, is on sale at Sotheby’s, with a starting price of £4.5m ($6m). The 10‑foot long Nanotyrannus could fetch as much as $9m. Scientists voice concerns that the sale may start a trend of private fossil ownership. The auction also ignites debate over whether dinosaur finds should stay in public museums.
A mounted skeleton of a newly‑identified dinosaur, nicknamed Jodi, has been placed up for auction in New York by Sotheby’s. The 10‑foot tall specimen carries a starting price of £4.5m, which translates to roughly US$6m.
Researchers say the skeleton could eventually bring in up to US$9m at auction. It is one of only three nearly complete Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science.
Jodi first appeared before the public at a London art fair in 2023 as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. That was before the new genus was formally named last year.
The specimen was found in Montana’s Hall Creek Formation by rancher Jodi Pierson. Paleontologist Clayton Phipps later excavated the bones and reported that the fossil is nearly complete.
Scientists are uneasy about the possibility of a high‑value sale. Phtol on the BBC warned that private collectors could keep the skeleton out of museums, limiting public access and research.
University of Edinburgh scientist Steve Brusatte compared the situation to a celebrity painting that would be hidden in a private vault instead of on display. He said that such a trend would hurt scientific study.
Other palaeontologists, including Megan Jenkins, noted that the work required to recover, restore and prepare the skeleton was considerable. They argued that people who wish to buy it for large sums are not competing with museums for the money.
The sale comes after a record auction of a Tyrannosaurus rex, named Gus, fetched US$50.1m at Sotheby’s last July. That event sparked similar debates about fossil ownership.
Whether Jodi will find a private collector or a museum remains to be seen. For now it sits in New York, ready to lock horns on the auction block and on the broader debate of how we preserve the past.
