Masiakasaurus

vicious lizard

• masiaka · Malagasy · vicious
• saurus · Greek · lizard

The name combines the Malagasy word "masiaka", meaning "vicious", with the Greek "sauros", meaning "lizard". It refers to the animal's strange, forward-projecting front teeth, which suggest a fierce predatory habit. The species name, M. knopfleri, honors Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, whose music the discovery team enjoyed in the field.

Named by

Sampson, Carrano and Forster

Year named

2001

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Basin, Madagascar

A small abelisauroid theropod (noasaurid ceratosaur). Known for its procumbent, hook-like teeth at the front of the lower jaw. Type species is Masiakasaurus knopfleri.