Nanuqsaurus auction at Sotheby's

News · Heat 5.9 / 10 · 2 shows · 5m airtime

Sotheby's in New York auctioned a two-metre-tall Nanotyrannus skeleton on October 27. The specimen is roughly 70 percent complete, around 190 bones with a near complete skull, and had been expected to fetch about $9 million. It sold for $47 million against a $7 million estimate. The result has renewed the argument over private dinosaur sales, with paleontologist Megan Jacobs of the University of Portsmouth noting that many such specimens have ended up in museums or trusts.

How 2 podcasts covered it

1. Global News Podcast, 2026-10-27 (26:17 to 29:12)
   Interviews a paleontologist on the specimen
   Interviews a University of Portsmouth paleontologist about the Sotheby's specimen: roughly 70 percent complete, about 190 bones, a near complete skull, around a tonne and 18 feet long. She lays out both sides of the private-sale debate and notes many such skeletons have ended up in museums or trusts.
   New angle: The Nanotyrannus on the block is about 70 percent complete, roughly 190 bones with a near complete skull.
2. TBPN, 2026-10-30 (40:44 to 42:37)
   Explains the $47M nano T. rex sale
   Rovell explains the $47 million Sotheby's sale of a nano Tyrannosaurus, well above its $7 million estimate, as a size story: it fits in a normal room. The segment also covers murky fossil ownership in Montana and Utah and the roughly 70% real bone in top skeletons.
   New angle: A nano Tyrannosaurus sold at Sotheby's for $47 million against a $7 million estimate.