Bones of a dinosaur that once stomped around the Earth around 67 million years ago have now been purchased for more than $47 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
That makes it the second most valuable fossil ever, following the sale of a T.rex skeleton named Gus in July for more than $50 million, CNN reported. Per the outlet, the skeleton purchased this week was sold after a 12-minute bidding war.
This Nanotyrannus named Jodi went for $47.255 million on Tuesday, the auction house said. It was first discovered by Jodi Pierson in 2019 on her privately-owned land in the Hell Creek Formation near the town of Jordan in Garfield County, Mt., and excavated by her along with Clayton Phipps, Luke Phipps, Katie Busch, Nathan Cooper, Chris Morrow and Kelly Pierson. In 2021, it was acquired for a private collection.
Based on the sizes of the bones, it appears that Jodi was an adult dinosaur. Since the 1940s, researchers have been finding dinosaur bones like Jodi’s at the Hell Creek Formation, according to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It was there that Nanotyrannus lancensis was first identified.
“An excellent exhibition-ready mounted skeleton, measuring approximately 9 feet 6 inches tall on the armature, and 19.6 feet long from nose to tail, with a femur length of approximately 33 1/2 inches and a humerus length of approximately 14 1/2 inches,” said the Sotheby’s description of Jodi. There are approximately 191 fossil bone elements in the specimen, including “a beautifully preserved, virtually complete skull, boasting an incredible 53 bones, including the maxillae, fused nasals, quadratojugals, jugals, dentaries and the braincase – alongside roughly 50 teeth in varying stages of eruption (with one rooted tooth fused to the outside of the right maxilla).”
T-Rex dinosaur photo-realistic and scientifically correct, full skeleton in dynamic pose, side view. On black background, clipping path included.Getty ImagesJodi also has 15 caudal vertebrae, 15 cervical ribs, 25 dorsal ribs, 10 chevrons, and about half of the rarely found gastralia (belly ribs) and pelvic girdle bones, among other skeletal components, Sotheby’s noted. She has also been restored with 3D printed and sculpted elements. Prior to going up for auction, Jodi was featured on the Discovery program “Dino Hunters” in 2020.
“This outstanding skeleton is offered with full rights, and includes full documentation certifying condition, authenticity, and legality of ownership,” said Sotheby’s. CNN reported that the buyer of the dino hasn’t been publicly identified.
