The second most expensive rare Nanotyrannus fossil in history was sold for $47.3 million

A rare skeleton of Nanotyrannus, a smaller relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, was sold at an auction organized by Sotheby's Auction House in New York, for $47.3 million, after a 12-minute competition between six bidders. The skeleton, named “Judy” after a Montana rancher named Judy Pearson who discovered the skeleton in 2019, is one of three nearly complete Nanotyrannus skeletons known to scientists.

Its sale price far exceeded the initial estimate of $6 million to $9 million, but it failed to break the record for the most expensive fossil sold at auction in July, with an exceptional T. rex skeleton, known as “Gus,” selling for $50.1 million. Judy is about 2.9 meters high and about 6 meters long, just over half Gus' height.

The scarcity of similar structures may have contributed to its high selling price. The existence of a separate species of Nanotyrannus is still a matter of intense debate among paleontologists, but recent research suggests it is more likely to be considered an independent species, rather than a baby Tyrannosaurus rex.

According to Sotheby's, the skeleton is distinguished by its exceptional state of preservation, as it consists of 191 bones and includes an "almost complete" skull. After Judy's discovery of the Nanotyranus skeleton, it was excavated by Clayton Phipps, a commercial paleontologist known as the "Dinosaur Cowboy."

Like a number of significant fossils previously sold at auction, “Judy” was found in the Hell Creek Formation, a fossil-rich geological site that straddles Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. In 1902, one of the first skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus rex was found there, and the name of this species was given based on fossils discovered in the area.

In 2006, a short distance from the Judy excavation site, Phipps found the famous “two struggling dinosaur” fossils that are now preserved at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. It consists of two skeletons that appear to be engaged in a battle, one of a Triceratops dinosaur and the other of a smaller tyrannosaurid dinosaur, which was later revealed to be a Nanotyrannus.

The third known skeleton of this species, named "Jane," was also found in the Hell Creek Formation and is preserved at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois. According to Sotheby's, the size of "Judy" and the development of its bones indicate that it is an adult dinosaur.

The missing bones were replaced with specially designed and sculpted parts using 3D printing. The skeleton is also offered "full rights", meaning it does not include copyrighted parts taken from other dinosaur skeletons.

Thus, its new owner, whose identity has not been revealed, can make exact copies of the structure and sell them to museums or fossil collectors. Sales of dinosaur fossils at exorbitant prices have drawn sharp criticism from scientists, because they remove these specimens from public ownership and deprive researchers of studying them.

Steve Brusatte, professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, told Ofoq News: “We have just discovered that Nanotyrannus is a real species, and now one of its best skeletons is being offered for sale to the highest bidder.” He added: "It is disturbing to think that the skeleton might disappear inside the safes of a fossil collector, instead of being displayed in a museum that will impress and inspire children, families, and the general public."

David Hone, a paleontologist and lecturer in zoology at Queen Mary University of London, said he was very surprised that “Judy” sold for a price that far exceeded estimates. He added in an interview with Ofoq News: “It seems that dinosaur prices are witnessing a bubble that must burst at some point, so they cannot continue to rise forever.”

He continued: "It is very difficult to determine the potential scientific value of this sample without subjecting it to a proper study conducted by experts and verifying its results." He concluded that he would be “very surprised” if this sample ended up in a general collection available for study.

Until that happens, they remain practically outside the scope of scientific research.”