£4.5m Dino Skeleton Up For Auction

A nearly complete Nanotyrannus skeleton, nicknamed 'Jodi', is being auctioned by Sotheby's in New York with a price tag of at least $6m (£4.5m). The skeleton is expected to fetch up to $9m when it goes under the hammer on Tuesday.

The 'Jodi' skeleton is roughly 10-foot-tall (3m) and has about 191 fossil-bone elements, making it an 'excellent exhibition-ready' specimen, according to Sotheby's. The skeleton was discovered in the US state of Montana by rancher Jodi Pierson on her land in the Hall Creek Formation and was excavated by commercial palaeontologist Clayton Phipps.

The Nanotyrannus genus was confirmed by US researchers last October, and 'Jodi' is one of only three such skeletons known to science. This sale comes after Sotheby's sold a Tyrannosaurus rex, dubbed 'Gus', for a record $50.1m (£37.4m) in July.

Tyrannosaurus rex and Nanotyrannus lived alongside one another during the same geological period approximately 67 million years ago. The 'Dueling Dinosaurs' fossil, discovered by Clayton Phipps in 2006, shows the remains of a Nanotyrannus and Triceratops apparently in combat.

## Why it matters The sale of 'Jodi' has sparked debate in the scientific community about whether dinosaur remains should be sold privately. Some argue that these specimens should be preserved in public institutions for research and education, rather than being sold to private collectors. The fact that 'Jodi' is the first Nanotyrannus skeleton to be sold since the genus was confirmed highlights the significance of this auction and the importance of considering the implications of private sales of dinosaur fossils.

The auction of 'Jodi' is a significant event in the world of paleontology, and its outcome will be closely watched by scientists, collectors, and the general public. As one of the most complete and well-preserved Nanotyrannus skeletons known to science, 'Jodi' is a valuable specimen that could provide important insights into the biology and behavior of these fascinating creatures.