Elopteryx nopcsai

† Elopteryx nopcsai is a small theropod (possibly an avialan or troodontid) from the Late Cretaceous Haţeg Basin of Romania, named in honour of Franz Baron Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás, the pioneering Romanian-Hungarian palaeontologist. Known from a fragmentary femur, its classification has been debated for decades, alternately assigned to birds, troodontids, and alvarezsaurids. The Haţeg Basin was an island ecosystem where many dinosaurs evolved dwarfism, though Elopteryx's size and affinity remain unresolved.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Elopteryx nopcsai was a meat-eating predator. Carnivorous dinosaurs were active hunters or scavengers, equipped with sharp teeth and claws for catching and consuming prey. They occupied the top of the food chain in their ecosystems.

Time Period

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Elopteryx nopcsai lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.