Noasaurid theropod dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous period
Masiakasaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 70 Ma
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Reconstructed skeleton, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Theropoda
Clade:
†Abelisauria
Family:
†Noasauridae
Subfamily:
†Noasaurinae
Genus:
†Masiakasaurus Sampson et al., 2001
Species:
†M. knopfleri
Binomial name
†Masiakasaurus knopfleri
Sampson et al., 2001
Masiakasaurus is a genus of small predatory noasaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. In Malagasy, masiaka means "vicious"; thus, the genus name means "vicious lizard". The type species, Masiakasaurus knopfleri, was named after the musician Mark Knopfler, whose music inspired the expedition crew. It was named in 2001 by Scott D. Sampson, Matthew Carrano, and Catherine A. Forster. Unlike most theropods, the front teeth of M. knopfleri projected forward instead of straight down. This unique dentition suggests that they had a specialized diet, perhaps including fish and other small prey. Other bones of the skeleton indicate that Masiakasaurus were bipedal, with much shorter forelimbs than hindlimbs. M. knopfleri was a small theropod, reaching 1.8–2.1 m (5.9–6.9 ft) long and weighing 20 kg (44 lb).[1][2][3]
Masiakasaurus lived around 70 million years ago, along with animals such as Majungasaurus, Rapetosaurus, and Rahonavis. Masiakasaurus was a member of the group Noasauridae, small predatory ceratosaurs found primarily in South America.
^Cite error: The named reference SCF01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Grillo, O. N.; Delcourt, R. (2016). "Allometry and body length of abelisauroid theropods: Pycnonemosaurus nevesi is the new king". Cretaceous Research. 69: 71–89. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2016.09.001.
^Paul, Gregory S. (2010). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 82. ISBN 9780691137209.
(44 lb). Masiakasaurus lived around 70 million years ago, along with animals such as Majungasaurus, Rapetosaurus, and Rahonavis. Masiakasaurus was a member...
two most complete members, Masiakasaurus and Limusaurus, showing unusual features very different from each other. Masiakasaurus had an unusually downturned...
abelisaurs. Laevisuchus was a small bipedal carnivore about the same size as Masiakasaurus, which is estimated to be around 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length. It was...
member of the Ceratosauria, grouping with Masiakasaurus and Majungasaurus in the former and with Masiakasaurus in the latter. Forcing Afromimus to be an...
was in fact a hand claw. In 2001, a more complete genus of noasaurid, Masiakasaurus was discovered. This genus had an unusual down-turned jaw and protruding...
two most complete members, Masiakasaurus and Limusaurus, showing unusual features very different from each other. Masiakasaurus had an unusually downturned...
troodontids were likely omnivorous as well, and some early theropods (such as Masiakasaurus knopfleri and the spinosaurids) appear to have specialized in catching...
Demille as Deanna Deinosuchus Trevor Devall as Boris Tyrannosaurus, Bucky Masiakasaurus, Mr. Deinonychus, Thurston Troodon, Peng Protopteryx Michael Dobson...
Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, nuevo serie 6(1): 67-103 New materials of Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson, Carrano, and Forster, 2001, and implications for...
Honorary Doctor of Music from the University of Leeds 1999 OBE 2001 Masiakasaurus knopfleri, a species of dinosaur, was named in his honour 2003 Edison...
anteriorly (a subtriangular cross section of the femur is also known in Masiakasaurus). A long and slender tibia with a large anteriorly flat distal end to...
central India with procumbent dentition similar to the one present in Masiakasaurus. A study on the affinities of isolated theropod teeth from the Kem Kem...
demarcated by a raised ridge (also found in Eoraptor, coelophysids, Masiakasaurus, Marshosaurus, and Compsognathus). A pronounced ventral keel on the...
from the neural spine have been found in specimens of Allosaurus and Masiakasaurus, probably resulting from the ossification of a ligament running either...
flies. A female Quetzalcoatlus builds and guards her nest. A mother Masiakasaurus and her family hunt crabs but one of her hatchlings is ambushed by a...
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