The trick lies in the creature’s bones. Experts may need uncovered extra Nigersaurus fossils if the animal had not experienced these types of a delicate bone construction. In keeping with a research by Sereno et al. 2007, this creature experienced an unbelievably lightweight skull. Lots of the bones in Nigersaurus
They consisted of vertically stacked columns of replaceable teeth. Whenever the top tooth wore out in almost any provided column, the one suitable beneath it could move upwards and take the aged tooth's spot.
But a third sauropod, the South American Antarctosaurus, may or may not have been a kissing cousin as well.
Nigersaurus lived 110 million many years ago in what has become Niger, West Africa. Although the fossils had been found in the Sahara Desert, when Nigersaurus lived the realm was a floodplain with extensive rivers, conifer forests and lush vegetation.
In Nigersaurus' circumstance, the higher jaws contained 60 columns of compact, needle-shaped upper teeth. And no less than 68 quite sharp teeth had been existing over the reduce jaws. Tallied collectively, upper jaw and lower jaw, the beast had more than 500 personal teeth.
Nigersaurus is placed while in the category of sauropods wherein every one of the long-necked and prolonged-tailed dinosaurs are placed. Nigersaurus was likely one of several smallest sauropods simply because its neck was shorter. An adult Nigersaurus weighed about four tons and its size was corresponding to a modern Elephant.
The snout was also proportionately shorter, plus the tooth row was by no means prognathous, the snout tip not protruding relative to the remainder with the tooth sequence.[1] Nigersaurus was distinct in that its frontal bone (which shaped Substantially of your skull-roof) was elongate (A great deal narrower than very long), and had a marked cerebral fossa (a melancholy within the surface of this bone In the head).[4] The maxillary tooth row was in its entirety transversely rotated, its usual rear ninety° everted in direction of the entrance. This was matched by The same rotation of the dentary of the lower jaw. This transverse orientation of your higher and lessen tooth rows was exclusive on the dinosaur. As a result of this configuration, no other tetrapod had all of its teeth located as far for the entrance as Nigersaurus.[three][4]
Though dwelling to other massive herbivorous dinosaurs, it absolutely was also inhabited by theropods (a bunch of bipedal, 3-toed carnivorous dinosaurs that include Tyrannosaurus Rex
A 2009 review from the British palaeontologist Mike P. Taylor and colleagues agreed that Nigersaurus was in a position to feed Using the downturned head and neck posture proposed from the 2007 review, but contested this was the habitual posture in the animal. The examine observed the "neutral" head and neck posture of contemporary animals won't always correspond to their habitual head posture.
He identified lots of fossils from Elrhaz formations in Niger. Amongst All those fossils, he identified fossils of a whole new dinosaur species that is known as Nigersaurus (“Niger Reptile”). He in addition to other paleontologists gathered numerous bony aspects of Nigersaurus independently and assembled a rough skeleton.
What's a dinosaur to accomplish with chompers such as this animal's teeth? Nibbling on treetops possibly wasn't a possibility. Nigersaurus was not just compact-bodied for any sauropod, In addition, it experienced a fairly quick neck.
The immediate tooth alternative indicates that it mainly fed on gentle, abrasive plants, which might use down its teeth speedily.
‘ humorous-looking cranium, battery of teeth, and little sizing 500 teeth dinosaur for any sauropod have definitely received it a spot in the annals of dinosaur oddities.
Nigersaurus was possibly a browser, and fed with its head near the bottom. The location of its Mind that detected odor was small, although its Mind size was similar to that of other dinosaurs. There has been discussion on whether or not its head was habitually held downwards, or horizontally like other sauropods.