The theropod dinosaur Concavenator corcovatus is named the “humped hunter from Cuenca,” referring to the prominent ridge formed by two elongated vertebrae near its hips. This medium-sized carnivore reached about five to six meters in length. It also possessed structures on its forearms that resemble quill knobs, suggesting a possible type of feathering. To understand this unusual creature, we must examine the specific location and time period where it hunted in the Iberian Peninsula during the Early Cretaceous.
Geographical Location of the Discovery
The only known specimen of Concavenator corcovatus was discovered in central Spain. The find site is the Las Hoyas fossil locality, situated in the Province of Cuenca, within the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. This location is part of the Iberian Ranges, which provided the geological setting for its preservation.
The Las Hoyas site is recognized as a Konservat-Lagerstätte, a fossil deposit known for exceptional preservation. The fine-grained limestone layers of the La Huérguina Formation allowed for the articulation of the nearly complete skeleton and the preservation of details like skin impressions. This preservation offers a rare window into the ancient ecosystem and the dinosaur’s anatomy. The remains are now curated and exhibited at the Paleontological Museum of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca.
Geological Timeline of Existence
Concavenator lived during the Early Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic Era. Specifically, its existence is dated to the Barremian Age, approximately 130 to 125 million years ago.
The Barremian Age represents a dynamic point in Earth’s history, marked by the continued breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. The Cretaceous period was a time of significant evolutionary diversification for many groups of plants and animals, including the rise of flowering plants. Placing Concavenator within this era shows it was a relatively early member of the Carcharodontosauridae family, a group of large predatory dinosaurs that would later include giants like Giganotosaurus.
The Ancient Iberian Ecosystem
The paleoenvironment of the Iberian Peninsula had a subtropical climate with a distinct seasonal pattern of wet and dry periods. The Las Hoyas area was a freshwater wetland system without marine influence, characterized by small, shallow lakes and marshes.
This habitat was part of a larger inland lacustrine and palustrine system, where the deposition of calcium carbonate allowed for the preservation of life. The surrounding landscape featured extensive floodplains and vegetation that included conifers, cycads, and early flowering plants. The dominant large animals in this wetland were crocodilians, which are the most abundant large amniotes found at the site. Concavenator shared its environment with other unique dinosaurs, such as the ornithomimosaur Pelecanimimus and early birds like Iberomesornis. Aquatic life was also plentiful, including various fish, turtles, and early mammals, all forming a complex food web that the “humped hunter” occupied as a medium-sized terrestrial predator.