Majungatholus teeth

["Catherine Forster" <CFORSTER@mail.som.sunysb.edu>]

There are "Majungatholus" teeth scattered everywhere in the Maevarano Fm., and 
they appear on a gross level to be all the same.  However, each isolated tooth 
looks nearly identical to certain isolated teeth from elsewhere (Africa, other 
localities in Madagascar, even Brazil, etc.).  Until we actually sit down and 
study the finer details of these teeth, it's unclear whether we can refer  
those 
teeth to Majungatholus with certainty.  That is- are these teeth diagnostic for 
the species?  Or are they just generalized "abelisaurid" teeth?  The 
possibility 
always exists that there are actually two taxa of large theropods out there 
with 
very similar teeth.  

Then again, if there turns out to be only one large theropod in the formation 
(albeit based on negative evidence), and the isolated teeth all match the 
morphology of the teeth in the jaws, then we may hypothesize that these 
isolated 
teeth are all, indeed, from Majungathgolus.  We need to do more work in the 
formation first.  

So with those scientific caveats aside-- for now, we always refer to them as 
Majungatholus teeth!