Authentic fossilized Majungasaurus tooth, 2.3 cm length, 66 – 70 million years old, Cretaceous, Madagascar

Description

Majungasaurus is a genus of carnivorous abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Madagascar 70–66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, being one of the last dinosaurs to become extinct during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Majungasaurus was a medium-sized theropod dinosaur, reaching 5.6–7 m in length and weighing 750–1,100 kg. Fragmentary remains of some adults indicate that some individuals may have exceeded 8 m in length, reaching the size of Carnotaurus, a related dinosaur from South America.

Its skull measured 60–70 cm long and was proportionally shorter and wider than that of other theropods. A distinctive dome-like horn protruded from the frontal bones, above the skull. The unique skull shape of Majungasaurus and other abelisaurids indicates different hunting strategies than those of other theropods, which had long, narrow skulls. The long, narrow skulls of other theropods were well-built to withstand the vertical stress of a powerful bite, but not as well-built to withstand torsion (twisting). Thus, they would have used a hunting strategy similar to that of modern dogs or wolves, which apply multiple consecutive bites, exhausting prey. It is possible that abelisaurids, especially Majungasaurus, may have been adapted to a feeding strategy resembling that of modern cats with short, broad snouts: biting once and holding the prey until it became subdued.

Although sauropods would have been the preferred prey of Majungasaurus, studies published in 2007 examined evidence of cannibalism within the species. Numerous bones of Majungasaurus have been found with tooth marks identical to those on sauropod bones from the same localities, also attributed to Majungasaurus. It is not known whether Majungasaurus actively hunted individuals of its own species or if it was merely a scavenger and fed on deceased individuals of its own species. If this is true, Majungasaurus would be the only dinosaur known to have practiced cannibalism.