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Masiakasaurus Monograph Published
Another great monograph on the dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous of
Madagascar is now out, featuring extensive text, figures, and a
fantastic life restoration by Lukas Panzarin. I had the distinct
pleasure of helping to excavate many of the specimens figured here, so
it's great to see it published!
The paper is freely available as a PDF, at the links below.
Andy
*****************
New Materials of Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson, Carrano, and Forster,
2001, and Implications for the Morphology of the Noasauridae (Theropoda:
Ceratosauria)
Matthew T. Carrano, Mark A. Loewen, and Joseph J. W. Sertich
viii + 53 pages
2011 (Date of Issue: 18 January 2011)
Number 95, Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology
ABSTRACT
Osteology of the noasaurid theropod Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson et
al., 2001, is now two-thirds complete. We describe Masiakasaurus
knopfleri in detail on the basis of examination of new specimens and
emphasis on previously unknown elements. The skull is anteroposteriorly
long but low in height, unlike the foreshortened abelisaurid condition.
Premaxillary teeth are procumbent, like those of the dentary. Frontal
bones are flat and unornamented, but the lacrimal and postorbital
exhibit surface texturing. The braincase resembles that of abelisaurids
but is more highly pneumatized. The neck is curved anteriorly but
horizontal posteriorly, and it transitions to the trunk without
significant proportional changes. Centrum pneumaticity appears confined
to the neck and anterior trunk. The sacrum includes six vertebrae, and
the expanded transverse processes of caudal vertebrae may articulate
with caudal ribs. The scapulocoracoid is large and broad. The ilium is
both anteroposteriorly long and dorsoventrally deep, and it bears pegs
for articulation with sockets on the pubis and ischium, as in other
ceratosaurs. The nearly complete pes shows no particular locomotor
specializations and allows reinterpretation of the “raptorial” pedal
ungual of Noasaurus as a manual element. These new specimens also
illuminate the morphology of other noasaurids, especially those from the
Lameta Formation.
In addition to Madagascar, noasaurids are known from Europe, India,
South America, and Africa, spanning at least Aptian–Albian through
Maastrichtian time. The new materials of Masiakasaurus increase
character resolution within Abelisauroidea, identifying many formerly
equivocal features as synapomorphies of the nodes Noasauridae,
Abelisauridae, or Abelisauroidea. Unfortunately, the fragmentary nature
of nearly all other noasaurids obviates any meaningful ingroup
resolution, and as a result no particular evolutionary or biogeographic
scenarios for the clade can presently be supported (or rejected) with
confidence.
Freely downloadable at:
http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/Paleobiology/sc_RecordSingle.cfm?filename=SCtP-0095
Direct link to PDF:
http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/Paleobiology/pdf_hi/SCtP-0095.pdf