One of world’s last dinosaurs on sale for £3m

Published: 07 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

It was one of the last dinosaurs to roam the Earth, and now it could be yours for a staggering £3 million. Spike, a Caenagnathid fossil, has lain undiscovered for more than 66 million years, only to be painstakingly reconstructed and now stands ready for auction at Christie’s in London next month. This remarkable specimen, which includes roughly 100 bones, represents a near-complete fossil of a species for which usually only a handful of bones are found, making it a truly extraordinary find.

Closely related to the Anzu wyliei, nicknamed the “chicken from hell,” Spike would have been a feathered predator, complete with a distinctive hen-like crest on its head, long, powerful legs similar to a cassowary, sharp claws on its forelimbs, and jaws designed to capture prey. Experts say it would have been a formidable presence in the final days of the Cretaceous period, coexisting with iconic dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops.

James Hyslop, head of science and natural history at Christie’s, explained the rarity of the fossil. “It was around at the very end of the Cretaceous, so concurrent with Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops and would have been definitely on the menu for T. Rex. You can imagine this thing belting across the Hell Creek Formation, 66 million years ago, and because he is on a human scale, it’s quite terrifying. His height means he looks you dead in the eyes. We don’t have footprints for Spike, but if you make an assumption that the gap between each foot would be the same as a cassowary, then he would have been fast. He’s beating Usain Bolt.”

The Caenagnathid family of dinosaurs has been known to science since 1940, but very few complete specimens have ever been recovered, and none have been offered at auction until now. This makes Spike an unprecedented opportunity for collectors, paleontologists, and enthusiasts alike. Hyslop emphasized the exceptional nature of the fossil: “Most of the fossils in this group are described from a single arm, or a solitary bit of beak. It’s a very fragmentary data field, so having 100 bones is unprecedented. These animals were much smaller than other dinosaurs, which made preservation less likely, and they were tasty, so they would have been scavenged after death. There’s also a high chance that Spike was heavily feathered, resembling an ostrich or cassowary in appearance, which would have made it both dramatic and visually striking.”

Spike measures nearly two metres tall, standing on legs built for speed, with an imposing presence even when compared to modern humans. The fossil is dated between 68 and 66 million years ago, meaning it lived shortly before the catastrophic Chicxulub asteroid impact that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs. The discovery of Spike helps to shed light on the diversity of predatory feathered dinosaurs in the final years of the Cretaceous period, offering a rare glimpse into the ecology of that ancient time.

The auction, scheduled for December 11, is part of Christie’s “Groundbreakers: Icons of Our Time” sale, which celebrates cultural innovation from the 20th and 21st centuries. Before the auction, Spike will be on public display from December 5 to 8, giving paleontology enthusiasts and the general public an opportunity to witness this rare dinosaur in all its reconstructed glory. Christie’s expects the auction to attract bidders from across the globe, including collectors, museums, and institutions seeking to secure an extraordinary piece of natural history.

The estimated value of Spike is between £3 million and £5 million, although the final price could soar higher given the rarity and significance of the specimen. Christie’s officials point out that the fossil market has seen increasing interest, with several dinosaur specimens in recent years achieving record-breaking prices. Last November, a juvenile and adult Allosaurus fossil sold for significantly above the £8 million upper estimate at Christie’s, highlighting the strong demand for rare and scientifically valuable dinosaur specimens.

Experts say the discovery of Spike also offers important scientific insight. Markings found on the wrist bones suggest the dinosaur may have had quills or feathers, providing further evidence to support the theory that many dinosaurs were feathered, challenging older perceptions of dinosaurs as solely scaly, reptilian creatures. “This specimen gives researchers a unique chance to examine anatomy, movement, and likely behavior in a way that fragmentary fossils rarely allow,” said Dr. Eleanor Martin, a paleontologist not associated with Christie’s.

While Christie’s hopes that whoever purchases Spike will eventually put it on display for the public to enjoy, there is also the possibility that the dinosaur could enter a private collection. Either way, the auction marks a rare convergence of science, art, and commerce, highlighting how prehistoric discoveries continue to captivate both scholars and the general public.

Hyslop stressed the cultural and educational value of Spike: “It’s not just about the financial investment. This is a rare opportunity to own a piece of history from a world that no longer exists. It allows us to imagine the late Cretaceous ecosystem and the incredible diversity of life that once roamed the Earth. There’s something profoundly humbling about standing next to a creature that lived 66 million years ago and imagining the world it inhabited.”

As anticipation builds for the auction, Spike the Caenagnathid promises to be one of the most exciting fossil sales in recent history, combining scientific importance with the allure of a once-in-a-lifetime collector’s item. From its rare feathered anatomy to its dramatic reconstruction, Spike reminds us of the mysteries that still lie buried beneath the Earth and the enduring fascination of dinosaurs in popular culture.