A $47.3m dinosaur and a scientific dilemma

A remarkably complete skeleton of a Nanotyrannus, a smaller relative of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, has been sold at auction in New York for an astonishing $47.3 million. The sale, which took place at Sotheby's, makes the fossil, nicknamed 'Jodi', the second most valuable dinosaur ever sold at auction. The final price far exceeded initial estimates, which had suggested it might sell for between $6 million and $9 million. After a twelve-minute bidding battle involving six interested parties, an undisclosed buyer secured the prize.

Jodi was discovered in 2019 on private land in Montana's Hell Creek Formation, a well-known site for dinosaur fossils. The skeleton was found by a rancher, Jodi Pierson, and later excavated by a commercial palaeontologist. For a long time, scientists believed the Nanotyrannus was simply a young T. rex. However, research published last year confirmed it as a distinct genus. This smaller dinosaur was more slender and had blade-like teeth, and it lived alongside the T. rex around 67 million years ago. Jodi is one of only three substantial Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science.

The auction has reignited a heated debate within the scientific community. Many palaeontologists express deep concern about such sales. They argue that when a unique fossil is bought by a private individual, it can effectively disappear from public view and scientific study. One researcher described the sale as 'harrowing', comparing it to a super-wealthy person buying the Mona Lisa and keeping it hidden in a vault. As a result, the fossil would be inaccessible to researchers who wish to measure, scan, and analyse the bones, and to the public, especially children, who could be inspired by seeing it in a museum. Critics also point out that the final auction price could fund the operations of several public museums for a year, which would benefit science far more broadly.

On the other hand, some voices in the field offer a different perspective. They point out that excavating, preparing, and mounting a fossil requires significant time, effort, and money. Landowners and commercial palaeontologists, they argue, should not be criticised for wanting to sell what they find on their own property. Furthermore, there is a historical pattern of privately purchased specimens eventually being donated or loaned to public institutions. From this point of view, the immediate sale does not necessarily mean the fossil is lost to science forever; it may simply take a different path to eventually end up in a museum.

For now, the future location of Jodi remains unknown. The scientific community is left waiting to see whether the new owner will choose to share this rare piece of natural history with the world or keep it as a private treasure.