Nigersaurus was named after the West African country where its fossils are already identified: The Republic of Niger. Again when this animal roamed, forests and braided rivers coated the landscape. (Nigersaurus would've had to Be careful for Sarcosuchus, a massive relative of contemporary crocodiles.)
It even more argued which the orientation on the semicircular canals varies significantly inside of modern-day species, and is particularly therefore not responsible for determining head posture.[23] This was supported with the Spanish palaeontologist Jesús Marugán-Lobón and colleagues in a 2013 examine that recommended the approaches employed by Sereno's workforce were being imprecise, and that Nigersaurus habitually held its head like other sauropods.[24]
Outside of its paleontological significance, Nigersaurus has obtained attention on the net as a result of its identify. Some Net memes, specially the "Really don't Google" trend, have highlighted the dinosaur as "the just one with 500 teeth.
Nigersaurus is a vital discovery for paleontologists because it helps to lose gentle to the evolution and diversity of sauropods over the mid-Cretaceous time period.
The dental composition of Nigersaurus presents priceless insights in the dietary and ecological adaptations of sauropods. Its special dental arrangement and rapid tooth replacement system spotlight the diverse evolutionary strategies that dinosaurs used to thrive of their environments.
Immediately after conducting a biomechanical Evaluation, 1 workforce of scientists concluded that The top and muzzle were being habitually oriented 67° downwards and close to the bottom because of adaptation for ground-degree browsing.
in 1999, just after further and much more comprehensive stays ended up uncovered and described. The genus title indicates "Niger reptile", and the precise title honours the French palaeontologist Philippe Taquet, who found the primary continues to be.
This fast tooth replacement, with new teeth escalating every fourteen times, ensured it preserved sharp edges for grazing on smooth vegetation. The distinctive dental arrangement created it very effective at processing reduced-lying plants, contributing to its name like a specialised herbivore.
The reconstructed skeleton of an exceedingly Strange dinosaur, the plant-feeding on Nigersaurus. That is a sculptural rendition of what the scientists anticipate the dinosaur's distinct head could possibly have appeared like.
This weird, long-necked dinosaur is characterised by its unusually broad, straight-edged muzzle tipped with in excess of 500 replaceable teeth. The original fossil cranium of Nigersaurus
The fragile character in the Nigersaurus’s slender teeth and sensitive skull produced excavation and preservation especially tough. Yet, these worries were being achieved with modern strategies in fossil recovery and 3D reconstruction, enabling experts to piece jointly the intricate specifics of its jaw as well as the astonishing array of 500 teeth.
was named and explained in additional element by Sereno and colleagues only in 1999, determined by remains of recently located persons. Exactly the same post also named
Fossils of the dinosaur had been initial explained in 1976, but it had been only named Nigersaurus taqueti in 1999, just after even more and more finish stays have been located and described. The genus title implies "Niger reptile", and the precise title honours the palaeontologist Philippe Taquet, who discovered the primary Nigersaurus remains.
The sauropod dinosaur Nigersaurus most likely developed its surprisingly-shaped head to higher mow prehistoric lawns.