Jodi Pierson, a Montana rancher, unearthed a nearly complete skeleton of a small tyrannosaur in 2019 on her 1,200‑acre ranch near Billings. The find lies just 8 miles from the 2006 Dueling Dinosaurs site that revealed a Nanotyrannus and a Triceratops in combat. The skeleton, nicknamed Jodi after its discoverer, measures 6.5 feet tall and stretches nearly 20 feet long.
In October 2025, paleontologists examined growth rings in the fossil’s bones and confirmed the specimen as a mature Nanotyrannus, not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus. The study, led by Dr. Cassandra Hatton of Sotheby’s, identified 150 distinct anatomical differences, including an 18‑foot length, longer forelimbs, and slender, blade‑shaped teeth. Hatton compared the species to a "lion and a cheetah" in terms of hunting style.
Sotheby’s unveiled the nearly 70% complete skeleton in its Manhattan headquarters on 13 October, setting the stage for a public auction on 27 October. The company estimates the sale at $6–9 million, making it the most valuable Nanotyrannus ever on the market. Only three such skeletons are known worldwide, the others residing in North Carolina and Illinois.
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, chaired by Stuart Sumida, has warned that private sales strip specimens from scientific study. Sumida told The Associated Press that fossils in private hands cannot be peer‑reviewed and will never be examined by future generations. He called the sale a "blatant lie" and urged museums to preserve the skeleton for research.
If the auction succeeds, the fossil could break the record set by a T. rex specimen that sold for $50.1 million earlier this year. Auctioneers will open the lot at 10 a.m. on 27 October, and the winning bid will determine whether the skeleton remains a museum piece or lands in a private collection.