Masiakasaurus
Masiakasaurus was a small, meat-eating dinosaur with a very strange smile. Its front teeth stuck out forward like a set of spoons, perfect for grabbing slippery fish and other tiny animals. It lived on the island of Madagascar near the end of the age of dinosaurs.1
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Fun facts
Masiakasaurus had forward-pointing front teeth, unlike most meat-eating dinosaurs. The first tooth in its lower jaw was angled only 10 degrees above horizontal.1
Its name comes from the Malagasy word 'masiaka', meaning 'vicious'. The species name 'knopfleri' honors musician Mark Knopfler, whose music inspired the expedition team.1
Masiakasaurus lived alongside the giant predator Majungasaurus and the long-necked Rapetosaurus in Madagascar.1
Scientists have found about 65% of the Masiakasaurus skeleton, making it one of the best-known noasaurid dinosaurs.1
A shoulder bone of one Masiakasaurus has holes that might be bite marks from Majungasaurus or from an infection.1
Masiakasaurus was a small theropod, only about 1.8 to 2.1 meters (5.9 to 6.9 feet) long and weighing around 20 kilograms (44 pounds).1
Most asked questions about Masiakasaurus
?How big was Masiakasaurus?
About 1.8 to 2.1 metres long and weighed around 20 kilograms. That is about the size of a large dog.1
?What did Masiakasaurus eat?
It probably ate fish and other small prey. Its forward-pointing front teeth were good for grabbing slippery animals.1
?When did Masiakasaurus live?
It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, from about 72.1 to 66 million years ago.1
?Where was Masiakasaurus found?
Its fossils were found in the Maevarano Formation in northwestern Madagascar, near the village of Berivotra.1
?Did Masiakasaurus have feathers?
The sources do not mention feathers for Masiakasaurus. It is not known for sure.1
?Was Masiakasaurus a dinosaur?
Yes, it was a small predatory theropod dinosaur.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Masiakasaurus
- Named by
- Sampson et al. 20013
- Group
- Meat-eating dinos
- Family / clade
- Noasauridae3
- Classification
- Theropoda > Ceratosauria3
- Age of the rocks
- 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)3
- Rock formations
- Maevarano3
- Countries
- Madagascar3
- Fossil records
- 29 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Masiakasaurus was named in 2001 by Scott Sampson, Matthew Carrano, and Catherine Forster. The first fossils were found near the village of Berivotra in Madagascar and described in the journal Nature.1
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate exactly how Masiakasaurus is related to other noasaurids, even with lots of new fossil material.1
Where the facts come from
- Masiakasaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Masiakasaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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