Masiakasaurus

What it was like

Masiakasaurus was a small two-legged meat eater about 2 meters (7 feet) long. Its front teeth stuck forward from its lower jaw, almost straight out, unlike those of any other dinosaur.

Those odd teeth may have helped it snatch small prey such as fish, lizards or insects. It had long legs and short arms.

Its world

It lived about 72 to 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous, in what is now Madagascar. Its fossils come from the Maevarano Formation.

It shared that land with the much bigger abelisaurid Majungasaurus, the titanosaur Rapetosaurus and the small feathered hunter Rahonavis.

How it was found

Sampson and colleagues named Masiakasaurus in 2001. About 29 finds are known, so much of its skeleton is well understood.