Camilla Jessen
Collectors prepare for multimillion sale of ancient fossil.
A well preserved dinosaur skeleton is heading to auction.
Collectors with deep pockets are bracing for a rare opportunity as “Spike,” a sub-adult Caenagnathid, prepares to go under the hammer in London.
The Caenagnathid skeleton is 68 million years old and almost never represented in the fossil record.
Christie’s says the specimen is among the most complete of its kind ever found, and the first Caenagnathid to be offered at auction.
A rare discovery
Unearthed in 2022 in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota, Spike consists of around 100 fossilised bones, far more than typically recovered from this group of small, feathered dinosaurs.
According to information cited by EBSCO, Caenagnathids lived in Late Jurassic Europe and were compact, carnivorous creatures measuring roughly one metre long and weighing less than three kilograms.
Christie’s notes that recent research points to heavy feathering in this family of dinosaurs.
A marking preserved on Spike’s wrist may offer additional evidence supporting that interpretation.
Millions expected
Spike will be auctioned on 11 December, with estimates ranging from £3 million to £5 million ($3.96 million to $6.59 million).
The skeleton, assembled from its well-preserved components, has spent roughly 66 million years untouched before being excavated and restored.
James Hyslop, Christie’s Head of Science & Natural History, called the specimen “a truly exceptional” opportunity for collectors.
Visitors will be able to view Spike at Christie’s King Street galleries, while an immersive VR experience will allow global audiences to examine the dinosaur in virtual space.
A cousin to the “chicken from hell”
According to The Telegraph, Spike is closely related to Anzu wyliei, nicknamed the “chicken from hell,” known for its bird-like crest, long legs and clawed forelimbs.
These dinosaurs had lightweight builds and were heavily scavenged after death, which makes complete skeletons extremely unlikely to survive.
Hyslop told the outlet that the discovery is “extremely rare.” Most fossils from this family, he noted, consist of a single bone—“a solitary bit of beak, or a single arm”—making a collection of 100 bones “unprecedented.”
If estimates hold, Spike will become one of the most valuable small dinosaur skeletons ever sold.
Sources: Christie’s; The Telegraph; EBSCO
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
