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Masiakasaurus knopfleri

Reptilia - Noasauridae

Taxonomy
Masiakasaurus knopfleri was named by Sampson et al. (2001). Its type specimen is University of Antananarivo 8680, a mandible, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is MAD93-18 (SUNY), which is in a Maastrichtian channel sandstone in the Maevarano Formation of Madagascar.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2001Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson et al. p. 504 figs. 1-2
2002Masiakasaurus knopfleri Carrano et al.
2003Masiakasaurus knopfleri Rauhut p. 33
2004Masiakasaurus knopfleri Carrano et al. p. 44A
2004Masiakasaurus knopfleri Novas et al. p. 98 fig. 12
2004Masiakasaurus knopfleri Tykoski and Rowe p. 49
2005Masiakasaurus knopfleri Novas et al. p. 169
2005Masiakosaurus knopfleri Yates p. 114
2006Masiakasaurus knopfleri Coria et al. p. 1288
2007Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson and Witmer p. 38
2007Masiakasaurus knopfleri Smith p. 104
2008Masiakasaurus knopfleri Carrano and Sampson p. 196
2008Masiakasaurus knopfleri Maganuco et al. p. 245
2010Masiakasaurus knopfleri Agnolin and Chiarelli p. 295
2010Masiakasaurus knopfleri Novas et al. p. 58
2010Masiakasaurus knopfleri Smith et al. p. 930
2011Masiakasaurus knopfleri Carrano et al. p. 3
2011Masiakasaurus knopfleri Osi and Buffetaut p. 41
2012Masiakasaurus knopfleri Candeiro et al. p. 326
2012Masiakasaurus knopfleri Carrano et al. pp. 235-236
2012Masiakasaurus knopfleri Lindoso et al. p. 119
2013Masiakasaurus knopfleri Fernandes de Azevedo et al. p. 137
2013Masiakasaurus knopfleri Machado et al. p. 447
2013Masiakasaurus knopfleri Mohabey and Samant p. 261
2013Masiakasaurus knopfleri Novas et al. p. 176
2014Masiakasaurus knopfleri Allain et al. p. 129
2014Masiakasaurus knopfleri Delcourt and Grillo p. 312
2014Masiakasaurus knopfleri Hendrickx and Mateus p. 20
2014Masiakasaurus knopfleri Medeiros et al. p. 53
2016Masiakasaurus knopfleri Griffin and Nesbitt p. 2
2017Masiakasaurus knopfleri Ezcurra p. 516
2018Masiakasaurus knopfleri Delcourt p. 3
2018Masiakasaurus knopfleri Frederickson et al. p. 10
2020Masiakasaurus knopfleri de Souza et al. p. 3
2021Masiakasaurus knopfleri Khosla and Bajpai p. 206
2021Masiakasaurus knopfleri de Souza et al. p. 1
2022Masiakasaurus knopfleri Salem et al. p. 3

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
RankNameAuthor
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
—Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
—Crocopoda
—ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
—Eucrocopoda
—Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
—Ornithodira
—Dinosauromorpha
—Dinosauriformes
—Dinosauria()
—Theropoda()
—Neotheropoda
—AverostraPaul 2002
suborderCeratosauria()
familyNoasauridae
subfamilyNoasaurinae
genusMasiakasaurus
speciesknopfleri

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson et al. 2001
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
M. T. Carrano et al. 2002Abelisauroid theropod with anterior four dentary teeth procumbent, the first inclined at 10° above the horizontal and lying in an alveolus that is slung below the ventral margin of the dentary. First alveolus large and ventrally expanded, lying lateral to an anteroposteriorly long dentary symphysis. Lower dentition markedly heterodont: the first four teeth are weakly spoon-shaped, elongate, and terminate in a posteriorly hooked, pointed apex. Anterior dentary teeth bear two weakly serrated posterior carinae and have faint posterior ridges; more posterior teeth are transversely compressed, recurved, and have a serrated posterior carina.
M. T. Carrano and S. D. Sampson 2008Abelisauroid with: (1) four most anterior dentary teeth procumbent, with the first set in a large, ventrally expanded alveolus that is almost horizontal in orientation, (2) a strongly heterodont lower dentition, grading from elongate, weakly serrated, apically round with labiolingually positioned carinae (anteriorly) to increasingly recurved, transversely compressed, with mesiodistally positioned carinae (posteriorly) (modified from Sampson et al. 2001: 504).
M. T. Carrano et al. 2012Abelisauroid with: (1) four anteriormost dentary teeth procumbent, with first set in large, ventrally expanded alveolus that is almost horizontally oriented; and (2) strongly heterodont lower dentition, grading from elongate, weakly serrated, apically round teeth with labiolingually positioned carinae (anteriorly) to increasingly recurved, transversely compressed teeth with mesiodistally positioned carinae (posteriorly) (all from Sampson et al. 2001).
Measurements
partNmeanminimummaximummedians.d.
femur circumference1353.435.065.059.010.2
tibia circumference1044.128.053.046.57.73

Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Entire body: yeso
Adult length: 10 to < 100o
Adult width: 1.0 to < 10o
Adult height: 1.0 to < 10o
Architecture: compact or denseo
Ontogeny: accretion, modification of partso
Grouping: solitaryo
Environment: terrestrialo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: ground dwellingo
Diet: carnivoreo
Reproduction: oviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalo
Dispersal 2: mobileo
Created: 2004-12-14 12:50:08
Modified: 2004-12-14 14:50:08
Source: o = order
Reference: Marsh 1875

Age range: Maastrichtian or 72.20000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections (29 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Maastrichtian72.2 - 66.0Madagascar (Mahajanga) Masiakasaurus knopfleri (type locality: 25074 32366 39265 39266 46894 55268 55269 71399 84840 84841 85063 91206 118203 138731 138732 138733 138734 138735 138737 138738 138739 138740 138741 138742 138743 138744 138745 138746 206553)