Masiakasaurus
Masiakasaurus knopfleri
Masiakasaurus knopfleri tinha dentes frontais projetados para frente, únicos entre os dinossauros, adaptados para capturar presas pequenas.
Masiakasaurus is a genus of small predatory 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 Masiakasaurus projected forwards 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. It was a small theropod, reaching 1.8–2.1 m (5.9–6.9 ft) long and weighing 20 kg (44 lb). Masiakasaurus lived from 72.1 to 66 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.
- Família
- Noasauridae
- Ordem
- Saurischia
- Período
- Cretaceous (70.0-66.0 MYA)
- Dieta
- Carnivore
- Comprimento
- 1.8-2.0 m
- Peso
- 35-40 kg
Fatos científicos
- Dentes frontais projetados horizontalmente únicos
- Nome homenageia Mark Knopfler do Dire Straits
- Descoberto ao som de música da banda
- Especialista em presas pequenas e escorregadias
- Viveu em Madagascar quando era ilha isolada
- Parente dos abelissaurídeos mas muito menor