Even the skies were being occupied – prolonged-winged flying pterosaurs swooped overhead, at times diving down to snatch a delicious fish out in the river.
The nickname "dinosaur with five hundred teeth" emanates from Nigersaurus's distinctive dental battery. Its jaw held about five hundred slender teeth, organized in tightly packed rows, and these teeth were being frequently replaced throughout its daily life.
Named after the region of Niger, the place its fossils ended up 1st located. The title was chosen to reflect its origins, having said that, the similarity in pronunciation to some racial slur has elevated problems about cultural sensitivity and acceptable terminology.
Nigersaurus is a vital discovery for paleontologists because it helps to lose gentle around the evolution and variety of sauropods over the mid-Cretaceous interval.
Skeletal diagram demonstrating known things and measurement comparison Sereno and also the American palaeontologist Jeffrey A. Wilson offered the first in depth description from the cranium and feeding adaptations in 2005.[one] In 2007, a more comprehensive description in the skeleton was released by Sereno ad colleagues, determined by a specimen discovered ten several years before. The fossils, along with a reconstructed skeleton mount and also a plastic design of The top and neck, ended up subsequently offered within the Nationwide Geographic Culture in Washington.
Its distinctive dental structure implies that it can have experienced a distinct feeding method in comparison with other sauropods, and its presence in Africa indicates that these types of dinosaurs were far more prevalent than previously assumed.
As we’ve seen, Nigersaurus had a wide muzzle and diverse teeth completely suited for consuming reduced-lying plants. This diet plan and Life style would've essential the creature to possess a steady supply of replacement teeth, as it would have worn out its tooth crowns fast. A analyze released from the journal PLOS One particular
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A 2015 cladistic study by Wilsona and the French palaeontologist Ronan Allain observed Rebbachisaurus by itself to group While using the nigersaurines, along with the authors prompt that Nigersaurinae was hence a junior synonym of Rebbachisaurinae (considering that that name would've priority).
The cranium of the Nigersaurus was fabricated from thin bones and experienced several small openings and pores. These capabilities provided them terrific versatility in feeding on the bottom. The muzzle of the Nigersaurus was huge and lengthy which served it in ingesting small ground-centered vegetation.
Nigersaurus and its closest relations are grouped throughout the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae (previously regarded as grouped while in the eponymous Nigersaurinae) in the family Rebbachisauridae, which is Element of the sauropod superfamily Diplodocoidea. Nigersaurus was almost certainly a browser, and fed with its head near to the bottom. The location of its Mind that detected odor was underdeveloped, Though its brain dimensions was corresponding to that of other dinosaurs.
was named and explained in additional detail by Sereno and colleagues only in 1999, dependant on remains of newly discovered people. The identical report also named
‘ humorous-searching cranium, battery Nigersaurus of teeth, and tiny dimensions for just a sauropod have absolutely won it a location while in the annals of dinosaur oddities.
This reptile was considerably more substantial than any living crocodile. Judging within the 6-foot cranium we located in the 1st week, we suspect it may have calculated above 40 feet extended! The armor plates on its again measured a foot throughout. We even laid out the workforce to acquire a feeling of just how big this animal was.