Hunchback dinosaur found

Published on September 22nd, 2010 | by Sevaan Franks

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The remains of a hunchback “camel” dinosaur have been found in Spain.

Discovered via a finely preserved, nearly complete skeleton found in central Spain, the 20-foot-long (6-meter-long) Concavenator corcovatus—”the hunchback hunter from Cuenca”—had two raised backbones, each 1.3 feet (40 centimeters) taller than the dinosaurs‘ other vertebrae.

C. corcovatus’s hump possibly supported a mound of fleshy tissue storing fat, as on a camel, according to the study team, led by paleontologist Francisco Ortega of the Universidad Nacional de Educacíon a Distancia in Madrid.

Alternatively, the hump might have had a display role—for example, attracting a mate or intimidating rivals—or may have helped diffuse heat and regulate body temperature, Ortega said.

[Full story]

Tags: Dinosaurs, Fossils, Spain

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