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Lot Essay
For the last three decades, debate has raged over whether Nanotyrannus was just a small, young Tyrannosaurus rex, or a different animal altogether, with many prominent and respected paleontologists lining up on both sides of the issue.
Recently, on October 31st, 2025, a pivotal paper by Lindsay E. Zanno and James G. Napoli ‘Nanotyrannus and Tyrannosaurus coexisted at the close of the Cretaceous’ provided compelling evidence confirming Nanotyrannus as a valid genus. Their conclusions were supported by analysis of the most complete specimens held in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Burpee Museum in Illinois.
The present specimen was discovered in the summer of 2021 on a private ranch within the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. Professional excavation revealed that only the lower jaws (dentaries) of the animal were preserved. Despite the limited material, the specimen offers critical diagnostic features that distinguish Nanotyrannus from T. rex, most notably the number of tooth sockets. While T. rex typically exhibits 12 to 13 alveoli, this specimen’s complete right dentary displays 17 — a defining trait of Nanotyrannus.
Smaller than T. rex but larger than contemporary raptors, Nanotyrannus is believed to have filled a unique ecological niche. Its anatomy suggests a predator built for speed and agility, with proportionally larger forelimbs and blade-like teeth adapted for slicing flesh rather than crushing bone.
While most of the functional teeth of the animal washed out of their sockets prior to final deposition,, several replacement teeth remain in place. For display purposes, printed reconstructions of the original teeth have been inserted using museum wax, allowing for easy removal should the new owner prefer to display only the preserved fossil material. The accompanying skull reconstruction offers a scientifically accurate representation of the animal’s appearance.
With only a handful of confirmed specimens known to science, this example is believed to be the smallest Nanotyrannus discovered to date — a rare and significant fossil from the final age of the reign of the Dinosaurs.
Recently, on October 31st, 2025, a pivotal paper by Lindsay E. Zanno and James G. Napoli ‘Nanotyrannus and Tyrannosaurus coexisted at the close of the Cretaceous’ provided compelling evidence confirming Nanotyrannus as a valid genus. Their conclusions were supported by analysis of the most complete specimens held in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Burpee Museum in Illinois.
The present specimen was discovered in the summer of 2021 on a private ranch within the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. Professional excavation revealed that only the lower jaws (dentaries) of the animal were preserved. Despite the limited material, the specimen offers critical diagnostic features that distinguish Nanotyrannus from T. rex, most notably the number of tooth sockets. While T. rex typically exhibits 12 to 13 alveoli, this specimen’s complete right dentary displays 17 — a defining trait of Nanotyrannus.
Smaller than T. rex but larger than contemporary raptors, Nanotyrannus is believed to have filled a unique ecological niche. Its anatomy suggests a predator built for speed and agility, with proportionally larger forelimbs and blade-like teeth adapted for slicing flesh rather than crushing bone.
While most of the functional teeth of the animal washed out of their sockets prior to final deposition,, several replacement teeth remain in place. For display purposes, printed reconstructions of the original teeth have been inserted using museum wax, allowing for easy removal should the new owner prefer to display only the preserved fossil material. The accompanying skull reconstruction offers a scientifically accurate representation of the animal’s appearance.
With only a handful of confirmed specimens known to science, this example is believed to be the smallest Nanotyrannus discovered to date — a rare and significant fossil from the final age of the reign of the Dinosaurs.