" This stems from a misinterpretation of its title, that's derived from the nation of Niger, not a derogatory term.
Even though strolling throughout a very flat place, Gabe made a exceptional find—the bones of a different meat-consuming dinosaur lay partly exposed at her ft. She brushed away the sand from your higher jaw.
What Lots of people You should not know is always that Paul Sereno did not in fact explore this dinosaur; the scattered remains of Nigersaurus (in northern Africa's Elrhaz formation, in Niger ) have been described by a French paleontologist while in the late 1960's and released to the planet within a paper posted in 1976. Sereno did, however, have the consideration of naming this dinosaur (right after studying more fossil specimens) and publicizing it to the earth at substantial.
Nigersaurus, a rebbachisaurid sauropod from the center Cretaceous time period, was identified within the Elrhaz Development in Niger. Its title, which means “Niger’s lizard,” was specified adhering to the discovery of a lot more entire remains in 1999, Whilst its fossils had been initial described in 1976.
We're closing in on that goal rapidly simply because we came on a skeleton a few days later on! This skeleton is lying on its facet Together with the tail curved upward. The curve from the spine steps about 15 toes.
If legitimate, it would starkly distinction with most sauropod reconstructions, exhibiting the animal Keeping its head horizontally.
The snout was also proportionately shorter, and also the tooth row was by no means prognathous, the snout idea not protruding relative to the remainder of the tooth sequence.[1] Nigersaurus was distinctive in that its frontal bone (which fashioned Substantially on the skull-roof) was elongate (A lot narrower than lengthy), and experienced a marked cerebral fossa (a despair around the floor of this bone inside the head).[4] The maxillary tooth row was in its entirety transversely rotated, its regular rear ninety° everted in direction of the front. This was matched by The same rotation from the dentary with the reduced jaw. This transverse orientation in the upper and lower tooth rows was exceptional on the dinosaur. As a consequence of this configuration, no other tetrapod experienced all of its teeth located as far to your entrance as Nigersaurus.[3][four]
Nigersaurus is thought from quite a few partial skeletons and isolated bones, which have presented beneficial information regarding its anatomy and behavior.
Paleontologist Paul Sereno described Nigersaurus as “the weirdest dinosaur I’ve at any time viewed” when the dinosaur’s abnormal attributes were being 1st learned in 2007. The teeth have been especially noteworthy mainly because they ended up arranged in dental batteries, which are typically located in beaked herbivores like Triceratops and Edmontosaurus, but are exceptional amongst sauropods.
Among the myriad of dinosaurs that once roamed our planet, the Nigersaurus stands out, not for its sizing or ferocity, but for its outstanding dental construction.
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Regardless of the memes, Nigersaurus stays 500 teeth dinosaur a unprecedented example of evolution and adaptation, deserving recognition for its exclusive attributes rather then Net controversy.
Nigersaurus is known to get lived in what is currently modern day-day Niger, Africa, consequently its identify. It absolutely was first discovered while in the early 2000s by a team of paleontologists led by Paul Sereno.
All those jaws held a little something by no means in advance of viewed in a sauropod dinosaur: It absolutely was on the list of 1st dinosaur skulls with tooth, or "dental," batteries.