Linda Ivany, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a recent New York Times article examining the sale of a rare dinosaur fossil known as "Jodi," a nearly complete Nanotyrannus skeleton that sold at a Sotheby's auction for $47.3 million.

The article explored the ongoing scientific debate surrounding Nanotyrannus, a small tyrannosaur that some researchers once believed was simply a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. Ivany explained that determining whether fossil specimens represent distinct species or different growth stages of the same animal remains challenging because large predators were relatively uncommon and often left behind incomplete fossil evidence. She noted that the limited number of available specimens has contributed to decades of debate over the classification of Nanotyrannus.

Ivany also emphasized the importance of keeping scientifically valuable fossils accessible to researchers and the public.

“These amazing fossils should stay in the public sphere for scientists to study, for children to be awed and inspired, and for everyone to be able to marvel at worlds long past and what we can learn from them,” Ivany said in the article.

Explore the media coverage below:

• The New York Times
• The Guardian
• AOL.com