Dinosaur fossils in Madagascar
The Paleobiology Database records 190 non-avian dinosaur finds in Madagascar, from 9 genera. The oldest is Narindasaurus thevenini from the Bathonian age, about 168.2 million years old. The youngest is Majungasaurus crenatissimus from the Maastrichtian age, as young as about 66 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 190finds
- 9genera
- 168.2oldest, million years ago
- 66youngest, million years ago
It ranks 20th of 93 countries on the map by number of finds. The most recorded dinosaurs are Masiakasaurus (29), Majungasaurus (25) and Rapetosaurus (5). The rock formation with the most finds is called Maevarano, with 91.
Which dinosaurs were found in Madagascar?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Masiakasaurus | 29 |
| Majungasaurus | 25 |
| Rapetosaurus | 5 |
| Archaeodontosaurus | 2 |
| Rahonavis | 2 |
| Vahiny | 2 |
| Dahalokely | 1 |
| Lapparentosaurus | 1 |
| Narindasaurus | 1 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in Madagascar
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Maevarano | 91 |
| Isalo IIIb | 57 |
| Isalo III | 14 |
| Bemeraha | 13 |
| Ankazomihaboka | 5 |
| Isalo II | 4 |
| Ambolafotsy | 1 |
| Ankarafantsika | 1 |
Other countries to explore
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.