Dire Straits Dinosaur and Devil Frog Unveiled

Reconstructions of four of the most unusual animals to have ever existed were publicly unveiled this week at Stony Brook University, according to a press release issued by the university. The animals include a carnivorous dinosaur named after Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler, "devil frog"- the largest frog that ever lived, a 2.5-foot-long, pug-nosed vegetarian crocodile, and fossils from another dinosaur that had short, powerful hind-legs yet minuscule front legs.

The animals are featured in an exhibit that honors paleontologist and lead discoverer of the fossils, David Krause, Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook. The exhibit also hopes to draw attention to The Madagascar Ankizy Fund, an organization founded by Krause that finances the construction of schools, water sources and health clinics in remote areas of that African island.

Here are highlights from the exhibit, as described by the university:

Beelzebufo ampinga, aka "Devil Frog"

(Credit for all images: Sam Levitan for Stony Brook University)

The mammoth-sized ancient frog, scientifically named Beelzebufo was over 16-inches long (not including the legs) and weighed an astounding 10-pounds. The massive size, girth, appearance, and predatory nature of the frog prompted its discoverers to call it the “frog from hell.” They derived the genus name from the Greek word for devil ( Beelzebub) and the Latin word for toad ( bufo). The species name, dubbed “ampinga,” means “shield.”

Masiakasaurus knopfleri

(Grade school students check out the exhibit's "Dire Straits" dinosaur skeleton)

Masiakasaurus knopfleri is named after Mark Knofler, the lead singer of the band Dire Straits because it seemed that, when his music was played, more bones of Masiakasaurus were uncovered. This fossil, measuring about six feet in length, was a small predatory theropod dinosaur. With its compact body, long neck, and long arms, Masiakasaurus resembled the well-known dinosaurian carnivore Velociraptor, of Jurassic Park fame. Strangely, the skull of Masiakasaurus had teeth in the front of its jaws that project directly forward, an adaptation for stabbing prey.

Simosuchus clarki

(A close up of Simosuchus clarki, one of the most bizarre crocodiles to have ever lived -- about 66 million years ago. This ancient crocodile is one of five pieces of the Madagascar Fossil Exhibit on display in the Stony Brook University Medical Center hospital lobby.)

Majungasaurus crenatissimus 

(Joe Groenke, a Molding and Casting Technician in the Stony Brook Vertebrate Fossil Prep Lab in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook University, shows students actual skull and spine bones of the Majungasaurus, as displayed in their original state.)

At roughly 21 feet long, this dinosaur was the top predator on the island of Madagascar 65 million years ago. Skulls found in 1996 and 2005 by Stony Brook paleontologists are among the best preserved and most complete dinosaur skulls ever found. Majungasaurus was a very unusual theropod. It had a short snout, a thick skull roof, and a horn-like bump protruding from the top of its skull. The jaws were equipped with sharp, knife-like teeth designed to slice through flesh. The body of Majungasaurus was also unusual in that it had very short, powerful hind legs but extremely reduced front legs.