Vespersaurus paranaensis

† Vespersaurus paranaensis is an Early Cretaceous noasaurid abelisauroid from the Caiuá Formation of Paraná, Brazil. Its highly unusual monodactyl foot suggests a single functional toe, the most extreme toe reduction known in any non-avian theropod dinosaur.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Vespersaurus paranaensis 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 Early Mesozoic Era

Vespersaurus paranaensis lived during the Cretaceous Early period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 145,0 to 100,5 million years ago.

The Cretaceous saw continued dinosaur evolution with the rise of ornithopods and early ceratopsians. Flowering plants first appeared and began to transform terrestrial ecosystems. Spinosaurus and other large theropods lived during this time.