One of the world's last dinosaurs to roam on the Earth could be in anyone’s custody for £3m.
Dinosaur,Spike the Caenagnathid,lay undiscovered for at least 66 million years but has been pieced back together and is standing tall again ahead of the auction at Christie’s in London, UK, next month.
The fossilised dinosaur has been described as exceptionally rare, consisting of about 100 bones, whereas the species is usually found with only a handful.
Once bought, the auction house is hoping the rare dinosaur will be displayed for the public to enjoy.
James Hyslop, head of science and natural history at Christie’s, said, “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,” he added
Hyslop explained, “We don’t have footprints for Spike, but if you assume that the gap between each foot would be the same as a cassowary's, then he would be fast. He’s beating Usain Bolt.”
It stands nearly two meters tall and dates from between 68 and 66 million years ago.
Hyslop said, “These animals are scarce, and I would never have believed we would have one up for auction."
The find is particularly intriguing because markings on the wrist bone suggest quill marks, lending greater support to the theory that the dinosaur was heavily feathered.
“There is a high chance it would have been a very feathered-looking animal, like an ostrich or cassowary, and it certainly would have looked extremely interesting and very dramatic back in the Cretaceous,” assumes Hyslop.
Historians have noted that the first Caenagnathid was described in 1940, and since then, only a few comparable specimens have been discovered, none of which have ever been auctioned.
Although it is listed at an asking price of £3m to £5m, it could go for far more amid a boom in interest in dinosaur fossils.
Last November, a juvenile and adult Allosaurus sold for above the £8 million upper estimate at Christie’s.
The event brings together dinosaur collectors from around the world and celebrates cultural innovation from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Furthermore, the rare dinosaur will be on display from December 5, 2025, to December 8, 2025, ahead of the auction to be held on December 11, 2025, the auction management informs.