As it had been a prey animal, it had been vital for Nigersaurus to possess movement hypersensitivity to detect any prospective threats.
Nigersaurus and its closest family members are grouped in the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae (previously thought to be grouped within the eponymous Nigersaurinae) from the relatives Rebbachisauridae, that is Component of the sauropod superfamily Diplodocoidea. Nigersaurus was in all probability a browser, and fed with its head close to the bottom. The area of its brain that detected smell was underdeveloped, although its brain size was akin to that of other dinosaurs.
What many people don't know is that Paul Sereno did not truly discover this dinosaur; the scattered stays of Nigersaurus (in northern Africa's Elrhaz formation, in Niger ) ended up described by a French paleontologist within the late 1960's and introduced to the entire world inside a paper posted in 1976. Sereno did, having said that, have the distinction of naming this dinosaur (just after researching supplemental fossil specimens) and publicizing it to the earth at huge.
Nigersaurus was a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in the course of the Late Cretaceous period of time, approximately 119-99 million several years in the past. Its fossils had been to start with learned within the Republic of Niger, from which it derives its title.
What dinosaur has 500 teeth? An unorthodox herbivore, this reptile grazed in what's now the Sahara Desert a hundred and ten million many years ago. These sauropod dinosaurs gathered meals which has a big, broad mouth; the snout was broader than the again from the creature's head on the first fossil skull.
Fossil evidence implies it lived in what is currently the Sahara Desert, feeding on ferns as well as other vegetation in its lush, riverine habitat.
This means that as one tooth wore down or broke off, A further was prepared to get its position. This fast tooth substitute cycle, occurring somewhere around each and every 14 times, ensured that Nigersaurus always experienced purposeful teeth to procedure its foods.
Though dwelling to other huge herbivorous dinosaurs, it had been also inhabited by theropods (a gaggle of bipedal, three-toed carnivorous dinosaurs which include Tyrannosaurus Rex
Nevertheless, as stated, Nigersaurus had a relentless provide of latest teeth since they have been replaced in the event the leading tooth in the column 500 teeth dinosaur wore out.
One of the myriad of dinosaurs that after roamed our Earth, the Nigersaurus stands out, not for its dimensions or ferocity, but for its exceptional dental framework.
What's a dinosaur to carry out with chompers similar to this animal's teeth? Nibbling on treetops almost certainly wasn't a possibility. Nigersaurus was not just tiny-bodied for a sauropod, it also experienced a fairly shorter neck.
It experienced a short neck for a sauropod, with thirteen cervical vertebrae. Almost all rebbachisaurids had somewhat small necks along with a duration of 10 m (33 ft) or less. The one member in the family that attained the size of larger sauropods was
Fossils of the dinosaur had been initially described in 1976, but it absolutely was only named Nigersaurus taqueti in 1999, immediately after more and more full remains ended up discovered and explained. The genus identify signifies "Niger reptile", and the specific identify honours the palaeontologist Philippe Taquet, who found the very first stays.
Nigersaurus was most likely a browser, and fed with its head near the ground. The location of its brain that detected odor was modest, Even though its Mind size was comparable to that of other dinosaurs. There's been debate on no matter if its head was habitually held downwards, or horizontally like other sauropods.