After the iguanodontian Lurdusaurus, Nigersaurus was essentially the most quite a few megaherbivore. Other herbivores with the identical development include things like Ouranosaurus, Elrhazosaurus, and an unnamed titanosaur. Alongside one another, these compose on the list of number of associations of megaherbivores by using a equilibrium of sauropods and enormous ornithopods.
It lived in a riparian habitat, and its food plan in all probability consisted of soft vegetation, like ferns, horsetails, and angiosperms. It is actually Probably the most prevalent fossil vertebrates discovered in the region, and shared its habitat with other dinosaurian megaherbivores, in addition to huge theropods and crocodylomorphs.
Nigersaurus experienced around five hundred teeth organized in dental batteries (rows of teeth stacked on other rows of teeth), which permitted it to successfully graze on low-lying vegetation like ferns and horsetails. Worn teeth have been frequently replaced to take care of Niversaurus' productive feeding.
In usually colorful style, Sereno explained Nigersaurus like a cross among Darth Vader as well as a vacuum cleaner and also referred to as it a "Mesozoic cow" (not an inaccurate description, in case you overlook The truth that a full-grown Nigersaurus measured 30 toes from head to tail and weighed up to five tons!)
The Nigersaurus experienced particularly very long neck. It was about 2 times the duration of its human body. This adaptation is believed to possess developed in an effort to allow Nigersaurus to succeed in better amounts of vegetation. Nigersaurus also experienced an extremely tiny head. It measured only about 30 centimetres (12 inches) in width.
‘ skull was larger and Positioned farther earlier mentioned the muzzle in comparison with other sauropods. This implies that its Visible fields overlapped, resulting in a in close proximity to 360-diploma area of watch (much like modern cows).
The constrained comprehension of the genus was the results of poor preservation of its stays, which arises in the sensitive and hugely pneumatic building (filled with air Areas connected to air sacs) Nigersaurus from the cranium and skeleton, in turn causing disarticulation of your fossils. A few of the skull fossils ended up so slender that a solid mild beam was noticeable by them. Hence, no intact skulls or articulated skeletons have been discovered, and these specimens characterize essentially the most comprehensive recognised rebbachisaurid remains.[three][1]
We are not talking about AA Duracells listed here. Dental batteries had been effective foodstuff processing tools used by many plant-eating dinos.
In 2019, Mannion and colleagues pointed out that considering the fact that Nigersaurus was located to be the sister taxon of all other nigersaurines in certain reports, a Rebbachisaurinae clade might not essentially incorporate Nigersaurus itself (along with the undeniable fact that the place of Rebbachisaurus could modify in long run analyses), and supported the continued use with the identify Nigersaurinae around Rebbachisaurinae for all rebbachisaurids far more closely associated with Nigersaurus than to Limaysaurus.
Because a number of rebbachisaurids inhabited latitudes that will are actually tropical to subtropical in the Middle Cretaceous, this pneumaticity may have helped the animals cope While using the pretty significant temperatures. Based on Ibiricu and colleagues, this adaptation may be a purpose why rebbachisaurids were the only real team of diplodocoids that survived to the Late Cretaceous.[21]
Much better nevertheless, All those tooth columns were packed proper along with one another—like canned sardines. So a dinosaur armed with dental batteries could easily residence quite a few hundred teeth (old and new) inside its mouth.
This Nigersaurus was a hatchling, likely under a single year from hatching when it died and was fossilized.
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Limb product plus a scapula discovered close by had been also referred to a similar specimen. These fossils are housed with the National Museum of Niger.