Masiakasaurus

Astonishing “Buck Teeth”! The Mystery of the Forward-Protruding Teeth

The greatest feature of Masiakasaurus, and a strange point not seen in other theropods (carnivorous dinosaurs), is its “mouth.”

Teeth Growing at a Near-Horizontal Angle

Looking at the tip of the lower jaw, surprisingly, the teeth were protruding “forward (outward).”

The teeth were protruding “forward (outward)”

Usually, carnivorous dinosaur teeth are vertical or inward-facing, but their frontmost teeth (especially the very front ones) grew at an angle just 10 degrees above horizontal, meaning they were projecting almost directly sideways.

Specialized for Piercing

The tip of the snout itself curved downward, and these structures show it was specialized for “piercing and catching” prey rather than “slicing meat.”
At first glance, they look like unsightly “buck teeth,” but they were functional weapons evolved to catch specific prey.

Fish-Eater or Omnivore? The Role of Strange Teeth

What did they eat using these specialized teeth?

Piscivore Theory (Predominant)

Forward-facing teeth are a feature often seen in fish-eating animals like modern cormorants, pterosaurs, and plesiosaurs.
Therefore, the theory that they used their teeth like a basket or fork to catch fast-moving fish is strong.

Omnivore Theory

Since related species include herbivores and omnivores, there is also a theory that they were omnivorous, eating insects, lizards, and fruits in addition to fish.

With a slender build of about 2 meters in length, they were likely not hunters that attacked large prey, but rather residents of Madagascar that dexterously caught manageable-sized prey.

The Unexpected Relationship Between the “Vicious Lizard” and a Rock Band

Masiakasaurus holds two meanings derived from its appearance and the story of its discovery.

The Name Means “Vicious”

The genus name “Masiaka” means “vicious” or “nasty” in the Malagasy language.
Literally translated, it is “Vicious Lizard.”
The shape of its teeth, which look ferocious and even grotesque, became the origin of this dishonorable name.

The Specific Name is “Dire Straits”

On the other hand, the specific name of its formal scientific name, “Masiakasaurus knopfleri,” honors Mark Knopfler, the leader of the legendary British rock band “Dire Straits.”
Since fossils were often found specifically when the excavation team was listening to their songs during work, a rock-and-roll name was inscribed to honor that luck and achievement.

Bonds of Gondwana: The Connection with South America

The discovery of Masiakasaurus is also important evidence proving the history of continental drift.

They are classified in the “Noasauridae” family within the Abelisaur group, but until then, small species of this group had only been found in South America.
By being discovered in far-away Madagascar, it proved that this group was already widely distributed during the era when South America and Madagascar were connected as the massive “Gondwana” continent.