The Concavenator was a carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in present-day Spain during the Early Cretaceous period around 130 million years ago. Its most distinctive yet puzzling feature was a triangular structure on its back, which may have been a storage organ for nutrients or a display structure to attract mates. It also had quill knobs on its ulna, a feature also observed in Velociraptors.
Key Facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Concavenator pronunciation | con-CAV-eh-nate-or |
| What does Concavenator mean? | Cuenca Hunter |
| Dinosaur type | Theropod |
| On the menu | Carnivore |
| Length | 21 ft (6.5 m) |
| Height | 6.5 ft (2 m) |
| Weight | 1.1 Tons |
| Life expectancy | Unknown |
| Legs used to get around | Bipedal |
| Estimated top speed | Unknown |
| When they lived | Early Cretaceous period, 130 million years ago |
| Where they have been found? | Spain |
When & Where
Fossils of the Concavenator were first discovered in 2010 in Las Hoyas, Cuenca, Spain, by paleontologists Fransisco Ortega, Jose Luiz Sanz, and Fernando Escaso. It was named Concavenator corcovatus, which translates to “Cuenca hunter with a hump.”
Size & Weight
The physical description of the Concavenator is similar to that of its relative, the Suchomimus. It was medium-sized, with an average length of 21 ft and a height of 6.5 ft. Its weight has been estimated at 1.1 tons. The Concavenator could have weighed the same as the Suchomimus, or the same weight as a T-Rex. However, it was smaller than most other spinosaurids.
Mobility & Diet
The Concavenator was bipedal, which means it walked on two legs. Due to its large size, it was most probably a slow walker. It had distinguishing characteristics, like the two incredibly tall vertebrae in front of its hips that formed a tall, pointed crest on its back that may have supported a hump.
The Concavenator was carnivorous and may have fed on smaller animals in its environment.
Interesting Points
- The Concavenator habitat was a densely forested region. It’s believed that it died off after the forests disappeared and they could no longer find enough prey to eat.
- Its skin was likely covered in a leathery layer of scales, similar to a crocodile’s.
Featured Image Credit: Nobu Tamura, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
