About
Concavenator was a medium-sized meat-eating dinosaur that prowled the wetlands of Early Cretaceous Spain around 125 million years ago. As a member of the familyâthe same lineage that would later produce giants like GiganotosaurusâConcavenator gives us a rare glimpse at these fearsome predators before they reached their enormous sizes. With powerful jaws, sharp teeth, and strong legs, it was clearly an of its ecosystem.
The most striking feature of Concavenator is the dramatic triangular hump formed by extremely tall on two just in front of its hips. This -like structure remains a mysteryâscientists have proposed it could have been used for , temperature regulation, fat storage, or species recognition. Whatever its purpose, nothing quite like it has been found in any other dinosaur.
Equally intriguing are the small bumps, called , found along its forearm bones. In modern birds, similar structures anchor large feathers. If these bumps served the same function in Concavenator, it would suggest that even large carnivorous dinosaurs outside the direct bird lineage may have sported some feathery coveringâthough this interpretation remains debated among paleontologists.
Concavenator was discovered at the Las Hoyas fossil site in Spain's Cuenca Province, a location famous for its exceptionally preserved Early Cretaceous fossils. The nearly complete skeleton was described in 2010 by paleontologists Francisco Ortega, Fernando Escaso, and José Luis Sanz. The name means 'hunchback hunter from Cuenca,' perfectly capturing both its distinctive anatomy and its Spanish homeland.
Explore the anatomy
5 featuresTwo super-tall spines on the backbone, right in front of the hips, stick up to form a sharp triangular hump found in no other meat-eating dinosaur. Unlike the long sail of Spinosaurus that stretches across many bones, this weird little crest sits on just two vertebraeâprobably a flashy feature for showing off or helping other Concavenators recognise their own kind.
Tiny knobs on the forearm bone look a lot like the bumpy attachment points that hold big feathers onto modern bird wings, like ospreys. If they really did the same job, it means this dinosaurâpart of a family of giant predatorsâmight have sported actual feathers on its arms. Scientists are still arguing about it, but it's a thrilling clue about how widespread feathers were among meat-eating dinosaurs.
Flat, blade-like teeth lined with tiny serrations made these jaws perfect for slicing meat, not crunching bone. This 'shark-toothed' style is actually where the whole dinosaur familyâCarcharodontosauridaeâgets its name. The hunting strategy? Fast, repeated slashing bites to take down big prey.
Unlike some later predators whose arms shrank to almost nothing, Concavenator kept powerful three-fingered hands tipped with curved claws. These arms were likely used to grab and hold struggling preyâa glimpse at how these hunters lived before their relatives evolved into true giants.
Long shin bones compared to the thigh bones meant this predator was quick on its feetâhandy for chasing prey through the swampy wetlands where it lived. Later members of its family grew massive but slower; Concavenator shows what these dinosaurs were like before they traded speed for size.
Where Concavenator Roamed
During the Early Cretaceous, Concavenator roamed the humid wetlands and seasonal floodplains of what is now central Spain, then part of the Iberian landmass situated along the western margins of the ancient Tethys Sea. This semi-tropical environment featured lush vegetation, meandering rivers, and freshwater lakes that supported a diverse ecosystem of dinosaurs, crocodilians, and fish.
Keep exploring the vault
Iguanodon
Iguanodon bernissartensis
Iguanodon lived in Early Cretaceous Europe (Barremian) overlapping temporally with Concavenator (Barremian of Spain).
Carcharodontosaurus
Carcharodontosaurus saharicus
Both are carcharodontosaurids that independently evolved large size and similar predatory adaptations.
Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus atokensis
Same family: Carcharodontosauridae
Giganotosaurus
Giganotosaurus carolinii
Fellow carcharodontosaurids exploring parallel paths to apex predator status on different continents.
Baryonyx
Baryonyx walkeri
Baryonyx lived in Early Cretaceous Europe (Barremian, ~130-125 mya) contemporaneously with Concavenator.
Yutyrannus
Yutyrannus huali
Both Early Cretaceous theropods show evidence of integumentary structuresâConcavenator has ulnar quill knobs suggesting feathers or quills, while Yutyrannus preserves direct feather impressions.