He found out lots of fossils from Elrhaz formations in Niger. Among the All those fossils, he uncovered fossils of a different dinosaur species that is referred to as Nigersaurus (“Niger Reptile”). He coupled with other paleontologists gathered several bony portions of Nigersaurus individually and assembled a rough skeleton.
Its head is what actually stands out about Nigersaurus, however. The jaws, that have a flat front, are lined with about 500 teeth, which Sereno says were replaceable. These teeth have been all the same in dimensions, and he estimates which they most likely only lasted about per month or so right before they have been worn down.
Judging by the LSC orientation in Nigersaurus, Sereno and corporation hypothesized the animal usually walked all around with its snout pointed to the ground in a 67-diploma angle. Image a moping teen and you'll get the idea.
But that’s not all; within just its oddly shaped muzzle, the dinosaur was Outfitted with no below five hundred teeth (both “Energetic” and substitution). The upper jaws contained 60 rows of compact, needle-formed teeth, although the lessen jaws had no under sixty eight extremely sharp teeth.
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This intriguing variation showcases the varied procedures dinosaurs made to prosper inside their environments. The Nigersaurus’s rapid tooth substitute, transpiring every 14 days, can be outstanding, environment it besides other sauropods that experienced slower tooth turnover.
It was learned while in the wealthy fossil vertebrate fauna of the Elrhaz Development in an area known as Gadoufaoua, in the Republic of Niger. Fossils of this dinosaur ended up initial explained in 1976, but it absolutely was only named in 1999 right after more complete stays ended up discovered and described.
The snout was also proportionately shorter, plus the tooth row was not at all prognathous, the snout idea not protruding relative to the remainder in the tooth series.[1] Nigersaurus was distinct in that its frontal bone (which shaped Substantially of the skull-roof) was elongate (Substantially narrower than prolonged), and experienced a marked cerebral fossa (a melancholy within the surface area of the bone Within the head).[four] The maxillary tooth row was in its entirety transversely rotated, its regular rear ninety° everted in direction of the front. This was matched by A similar rotation in the dentary of the decrease jaw. This transverse orientation with the upper and reduce tooth rows was one of a kind into the dinosaur. As a consequence 500 teeth dinosaur of this configuration, no other tetrapod experienced all of its teeth Found as significantly into the front as Nigersaurus.[three][4]
The teeth’s distinctive form and arrangement were being properly fitted to its feeding habits. The slender, chisel-like teeth could successfully snip off comfortable vegetation, and their speedy substitution ensured that the dinosaur could continually feed without the need of awaiting new teeth to increase.
The reconstructed skeleton of an incredibly Bizarre dinosaur, the plant-feeding on Nigersaurus. That is a sculptural rendition of what the researchers count on the dinosaur's unique head may have looked like.
The adductor muscle in the jaw appears to possess connected towards the quadrate rather than the supratemporal fenestra. Both this and one other mastication muscles were likely weak, and Nigersaurus is believed to get experienced on the list of weakest bites of your sauropods.[3] On top of that, In accordance with Whitlock and colleagues in 2011, the modest, nearly parallel nature of your tooth scratches and pits (because of grit, which might not be acquired as frequently by high-browsers) suggest that it ate somewhat comfortable, herbaceous plants which include very low-developing ferns.
Nigersaurus is really a 30-foot-lengthy plant-consuming dinosaur that lived 110 million decades in the past in what is now Niger’s Sahara Desert. Nigersaurus lived inside a lush environment along with the predatory dinosaur Suchomimus, the plant eaters ouranosaurus and lurdusaurus, and supercroc. Nigersaurus experienced a delicate skull and an extremely extensive mouth lined with teeth Specifically adapted for browsing vegetation near the bottom.
Even the skies were occupied – extended-winged traveling pterosaurs swooped overhead, sometimes diving down to snatch a delicious fish out with the river.
The fragile mother nature of your Nigersaurus’s slender teeth and delicate skull manufactured excavation and preservation specially difficult. Nonetheless, these difficulties ended up met with progressive tactics in fossil Restoration and 3D reconstruction, allowing researchers to piece alongside one another the intricate particulars of its jaw as well as the astonishing variety of five hundred teeth.