The auction house Christie’s held an auction in London where the skeleton of a dinosaur was sold. The specimen, named «Spike», reached a price of 3.46 million pound sterling.
The event took place during the week of December 11, 2025. The transaction is part of a growing fossil market. The auctioned dinosaur is a caenagnathid fossil. It was discovered in 2022 in South Dakota, USA.
Its state of preservation is considered exceptional, with over a hundred bones preserved. The skeleton belongs to a subadult individual that lived between 68 and 66 million years ago.
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What species was Spike?
It is a specimen from the caenagnathid family, belonging to the group of feathered oviraptorosaurs. This bipedal dinosaur measured almost two meters long and had a short tail. Its powerful hind legs allowed it to reach estimated speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. A pointed beak and a protuberance on its skull gave it its name.
The good preservation of its bones and the structure of its long arms, which show evidence of feathers, are of great scientific interest. These features provide key data for studying the evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and modern birds.
Since the discovery of the first caenagnathid in 1940, very few specimens have been found. «Spike» represents the most complete skeleton of its kind to reach the market.
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Christie’s auctions dinosaur «Spike» for Millions of Pounds and other specimens
The auction house Christie’s organized the event at its London headquarters. The sale was part of an auction titled «Groundbreakers: Icons of Our Time». The final price of 3.46 million pound sterling exceeded the initial estimated value, which was between 3 and 5 million pound sterling. The rarity and state of preservation of the fossil drove bidder interest.
The dinosaur fossil market shows notable activity. In 2024, the same Christie’s house sold three Jurassic specimens for 12.4 million pounds sterling. Other recent records include the sale of a stegosaurus named «Apex» for 44.6 million dollars at Sotheby’s New York. This context explains the economic result achieved by the specimen.
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The acquisition of the skeleton was made by a private collector. The buyer’s identity has not been made public. The transaction was closed for the mentioned amount of 3.46 million pound sterling.
The sale of «Spike» illustrates the convergence of private collecting, museum interest, and paleontological research. Fossils with exceptional preservation and clear scientific value achieve significant prices in the international market.
Events like this generate debate about the fate of paleontological finds. The future study of this specimen will now depend on the willingness of its new owner.
