Rare Nanotyrannus Fossil Sells for Millions at New York Auction

A rare dinosaur skeleton named Jodi sold for $47.3 million at a private New York auction.

A rare dinosaur skeleton known as Jodi, a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex, has sold at a private auction in New York for $47.3 million. The sale highlights the ongoing debate among scientists over whether valuable prehistoric remains belong in public museums or private collections.

• The buyerThe winning bidder at the Sotheby's auction remains undisclosed.
• The specimenThe skeleton is named Jodi and belongs to the Nanotyrannus genus, a controversial relative of the T. rex.
• The debateResearchers frequently express concern that private sales prevent scientific study and public exhibition of important fossils.