IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v409y2001i6819d10.1038_35054046.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A bizarre predatory dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar

Author

Listed:
  • Scott D. Sampson

    (University of Utah)

  • Matthew T. Carrano

    (Health Sciences Center, State University of New York)

  • Catherine A. Forster

    (Health Sciences Center, State University of New York)

Abstract

Here we report the discovery of a small-bodied (∼1.8 m) predatory dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Madagascar. Masiakasaurus knopfleri, gen. et sp. nov., represented by several skull elements and much of the postcranial skeleton, is unique in being the only known theropod with a highly procumbent and distinctly heterodont lower dentition. Such a derived dental morphology is otherwise unknown among dinosaurs. Numerous skeletal characteristics indicate that Masiakasaurus is a member of Abelisauroidea, an enigmatic clade of Gondwanan theropods. Previously, small-bodied abelisauroids were known only from Argentina1,2,3. The occurrence of Masiakasaurus on Madagascar suggests that small-bodied abelisauroids, like their larger-bodied counterparts, were more cosmopolitan, radiating throughout much of Gondwana and paralleling the diversification of small coelurosaur theropods in Laurasia.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott D. Sampson & Matthew T. Carrano & Catherine A. Forster, 2001. "A bizarre predatory dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar," Nature, Nature, vol. 409(6819), pages 504-506, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:409:y:2001:i:6819:d:10.1038_35054046
    DOI: 10.1038/35054046
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/35054046
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/35054046?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:409:y:2001:i:6819:d:10.1038_35054046. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.