Masiakasaurus

Masiakasaurus is a small predatory theropod dinosaur from Late Cretaceous Madagascar, distinguished by forward-projecting teeth at the front of its lower jaw.

Theropoda: Theropoda is a diverse dinosaur group that includes birds and numerous extinct meat-eating species. Masiakasaurus belongs to this major dinosaur lineage.
Heterodontosaurus: Heterodontosaurus was an Early Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur with several distinct tooth types. Its specialized front teeth provide a comparison for interpreting unusual teeth in dinosaurs.
Maevarano Formation: The Maevarano Formation is a Late Cretaceous fossil-bearing rock unit in northwestern Madagascar. Masiakasaurus fossils come from this formation.
Scott D. Sampson: Scott D. Sampson is an American paleontologist whose research includes Cretaceous dinosaurs from Madagascar. He co-led the team that described Masiakasaurus.
Majungasaurus: Majungasaurus was a large abelisaurid theropod from Late Cretaceous Madagascar. It shared Masiakasaurus's island ecosystem but occupied a different body size and lineage.
Noasauridae: Noasauridae is a family of small-bodied ceratosaurian theropods known chiefly from Gondwana. Masiakasaurus is one of the best-known members of this family.
Dental occlusion: Dental occlusion is the contact between opposing teeth when the jaws close. Jaw closure and tooth contact help constrain what Masiakasaurus could bite or hold.
Late Cretaceous: The Late Cretaceous is the final epoch of the Cretaceous Period, about 100.5 to 66 million years ago. Masiakasaurus lived during this final interval of the Mesozoic.
Catherine A. Forster: Catherine A. Forster is an American paleontologist known for research on dinosaurs and other vertebrates. She co-led the scientific work that named Masiakasaurus.
Rapetosaurus: Rapetosaurus was a titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from Late Cretaceous Madagascar. Its fossils come from the same formation and help reconstruct Masiakasaurus's environment.

Linked from 1 page