Have you heard before about a dinosaur with 500 teeth? If not, this article will be handy for you, and you’d enjoy it because, in this blog post, we’ll discuss the Dinosaur that has 500 teeth! So, let’s dive into the history of this Dinosaur!
How did it become the sensation of the internet?
A meme was posted by “u/jojigzseth” named “NIGERSAURUS?!” on Reddit, and it became a sensation on the internet in 2020! People started searching for it from all over the globe! Even the server of Google got down at that time! And this is where people came to know about the “Dinosaur with 500 Teeth”.
History of Nigersaurus:
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This Dinosaur lived 110 million years ago on this globe, but according to scientists, the extinction of this species was caused by an “asteroid impact.” The term “impact event” refers to the measurable effects of the collision of astronomical objects. This species is different from other ones!
And the most important thing that I am going to tell you is the name of this Dinosaur! So, its name is Nigersaurus, meaning Reptile from Niger! Now, let’s come to know the history of his name!
Statical data:
Location: Niger
Age: 110 million years old
Name: Nigersaurus Taquet
Nickname: Mesozoic cow
How did he get the name?
It was first discovered in the Elrhaz formation in Gadoufaoua, Republic of Niger! During 1965-1972, French Paleontologist Phillippe Taquet discovered only a few Dinosaur bones in the Tenere Desert, now Southwest Africa! His name was first printed in 1976, and in 1999, it officially got his name!
Since nigersaurus fossils were found in Nigeria, and the paleontologist who discovered the fossil of this species has the last name Taquet, it was named “Nigersaurus Taquet!” It also has the nickname “Mesozoic Cow,” given by Paleontologist “Paul Sereno!”
How did Paul name the nigersaurus?
As we know, Paul Sereno was an American paleontologist who researched nigersaurus! He gave nigersaurus the nickname” Mesozoic cow” based on its unique skull features and due to its eating habit like a cow! Moreover, some scientists believed that it behaved like a modern cow! Due to all these qualities, nigersaurus got this nickname!
Were there any unique aspects of its skull?
There was something bizarre and unusual about the skull of the Nigersaurus! In comparison with its body structure, its skull was smaller! This sauropod’s bones were fragile and it had more than four fenestrae in its skull (the opening in front of your eye socket).
On the ends of the jaws, there was most likely a Keratinous coating. The nasal apertures were enlarged, and the mandible (lower jaw) was S-shaped. Despite the skull bine’s delicate character, it was sturdy enough to survive the repeated wear and tear of eating plants.
Characteristics of Nigersaurus:
- It is a plant-eating dinosaur
- 30-foot elongated with a long neck
- It has a delicate skull with a wide mouth
- His mouth worked like a vacuum cleaner
- Its skull is the first fossil skull that was digitally reconstructed from a CT scan
- Nigersaurus had low bone mass, and their vertebrae were so thin
Specialty:
This Dinosaur is the 2nd most abundant herbivore in the world of animals! And it has a wide mouth lined with 500 sharp teeth that are specially for browsing the plants close to the ground! And these characteristics make this species incredible compared to the other ones!
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How did Nigersaurus feed?
Since it had a shovel-shaped mouth, which contained more than 500 teeth, adapted it to feed on as much vegetation as possible as it walked through the forest since it could eat as much as possible. It is estimated that the Nigersaurus head ate up to a football field’s worth of vegetation each day as it was almost constantly at the ground.
As a matter of fact, Nigersaurus was regarded as good eaters of soft plants, including ferns, hyacinths, and angiosperms. Moreover, the specialized grasses that grew explicitly adapted to the environment were gradually replaced by various flora as the environment changed! As a result of its lack of adaptability, Nigersaurus eventually became extinct.
Did Nigersaurus belong to the dinosaur family?
Yes, nigersaurus belonged to the dinosaur family, even if I said it belonged to different categories of dinosaurs, so it would not be wrong. This species belonged to the Sauropodomorpha suborder, Diplodocoidea superfamily, Rebbachisauridae family, and Nigersaurinae subfamily.
If we talk about the structure of the nigersaurus, it was closely similar to the members of the Dicraeosauridae family!
Why were their teeth so famous?
As we know, this Dinosaur has 500 teeth! But the question is here, what’s the thing that makes their teeth more incredible? So, here is the answer to that question! So, some scientists believe that the teeth of nigersaurus were replaceable, meaning they replace after every 14 days (about two weeks)! It is because of these reasons that they are so famous!
Conclusion:
Nigersaurus was one of the rare dinosaurs with an incredible skull and 500 teeth! Here you can find all the information that you want to know about nigersaurus!
