New materials of Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson, Carrano, and Forster, 2001, and implications for the morphology of the Noasauridae (Theropoda:Ceratosauria)

New record of abelisauroid theropods from the Bauru Group (Upper Cretaceous), São Paulo State, Brazil

“…It shows a rounded posterior margin and a more angular anterior margin (Figures 5A,D). This is also observed in the abelisauroids Xenotarsosaurus Martínez et al, 1986(Martínez et al, 1988, Majungasaurus (Carrano, 2007) and Masiakasaurus (Carrano et al, 2002(Carrano et al, , 2011) as well …”

“…Although broken, the preserved part of the centrum has a foramen that, based on its location and shape, could correspond to a pneumatic foramen. This type of pneumatic opening is also present in the axis of the abelisauroid Masiakasaurus (Carrano et al, 2002(Carrano et al, , 2011 and the abelisaurids Carnotaurus (Bonaparte et al, 1990;Méndez, 2014), Majungasaurus (O'Connor, 2007), Rahiolisaurus (Novas et al, 2010), and Compsosuchus (Novas et al, 2004) The right fi bula, MPMA 08-0069-13, is almost completely preserved ( Figure 5). The bone is 40 cm in total length, almost 10 cm in proximal width, and 5 cm in transverse length.…”

“…The axis is known in the abelisaurids Carnotaurus (Bonaparte et al, 1990), Majungasaurus Lavocat, 1955(O'Connor, 2007, and Rahiolisaurus Novas et al, 2010(Novas et al, 2010. MPMA 08-0016-95 is similar to the axes of Carnotaurus, Ceratosaurus and Masiakasaurus (Carrano et al, 2011) in that the odontoid process surpasses the anterior edge of the axial intercentrum (Figure 4), whereas in Majungasaurus, Rahiolisaurus andCompsosuchus Matley &Huene, 1933 (Novas et al, 2004), the anterior edge of the axial intercentrum is reached but not exceeded by the odontoid process (Méndez, 2010). The axial intercentrum and the preserved part of the centrum are firmly fused.…”

“…The supracetabular crest continues posteriorly and connects with the brevis-shelf, a morphology observed in most abelisauroids (e.g. Masiakasaurus Carrano et al, 2011;Majungasaurus Carrano, 2007;Eoabelisaurus Pol & Rauhut, 2012; although not in Rajasaurus Wilson et al, 2003). This contrasts to the condition in most theropods, in which there is a gap between the crest and the lateral margin of the brevis fossa (Carrano & Sampson, 2008).…”

A troodontid dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of India

“…Among theropod dinosaurs known from other Gondwanan continents, none compare favourably with DUGF/52. Abelisauroids, including small noasaurids such as those previously described from India and Madagascar 15,[43][44][45] , could be considered the most likely possibility, but they are markedly different from DUGF/52 in dental morphology, most obviously in denticle size and crown height. The only other Gondwanan maniraptorans identified at present are dromaeosaurids, known mainly from Argentina 46 , as well as from India's close Cretaceous neighbour Madagascar 47,48 .…”