Hump-backed dinosaur may yield clues to

[Still Waters]

Spanish palaeontologists have uncovered a new dinosaur with what may be the earliest evidence of feather follicles.

The researchers, whose findings are published in Nature, located the fossils near Cuenca, central Spain.

They named the reptile Concavenator corcovatus, meaning "meat eater from Cuenca with a hump".The type of dinosaur that was found is known as a theropod.

Theropods are mainly known from the ancient southern landmass, Gondwana.

Over time, Gondwana and other ancient landmasses broke up, forming the continents we see today.

Recently a team from Cambridge, UK, and the US showed that the theropods may have originated in the Northern landmass, Laurasia.

The most primitive forms have been found in England and now Spain. These finds date from the Lower Cretaceous, somewhere between 100 and 146 million years ago

Theropods are a very important group of dinosaurs because it is from this group that birds are known to originate. Most theropods, like the one found in Spain, are meat-eaters, though some were omnivores.

Read more...

[Druidus-Logos]

Very interesting. The hump could have been for mating purposes, quite possibly, since heat regulation is out of the question. Then there is the possibility that it was an anchor for a fat reserve, much like modern camels.

It's also possible that it could have been a defensive weapon. Since there is a lack of extensive blood supply to the region, that makes since. It may have been ridged, sharp enough to damage an attacker going for the back, or at least force the attacker to come from the front.

Any other ideas, folks?

I highly doubt this therapod is the direct ancestor of birds, it's just a cousin. Still interesting, though.

I love my dinosaur. (African grey parrot) She's my baby; she thinks of me as her bonded mate, lol.