As it absolutely was a prey animal, it absolutely was essential for Nigersaurus to acquire motion hypersensitivity to detect any possible threats.
Nigersaurus and its closest kinfolk are grouped inside the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae (formerly considered grouped in the eponymous Nigersaurinae) from the loved ones Rebbachisauridae, and that is Component of the sauropod superfamily Diplodocoidea. Nigersaurus was likely a browser, and fed with its head close to the ground. The region of its brain that detected smell was underdeveloped, Though its brain measurement was similar to that of other dinosaurs.
Everyday living restoration Nigersaurus was distinctive in that its dorsal (back) vertebrae experienced paired pneumatic spaces at the base on the neural spines (the spines that projected upwards in the vertebrae). The presacral vertebrae (vertebrae in front of the sacrum) have been closely pneumatised to the point exactly where the column consisted of a series of hollow "shells", Each and every divided by a thin septum in the middle. It had minimal to no cancellous bone, earning the centra slender bone plates crammed with air spaces. The vertebral arches had been so intensely pierced by extensions with the external air sacs that of their side walls small remained but two mm (0.
Nigersaurus lived one hundred ten million a long time in the past in what is currently Niger, West Africa. Although the fossils have been present in the Sahara Desert, when Nigersaurus lived the world was a floodplain with vast rivers, conifer forests and lush vegetation.
Even with its small head and modest neck, it experienced a lengthy tail and teeth which were adapted for grazing on vegetation. Nigersaurus is believed to have already been a quadrupedal herbivore and could possibly have fed on smooth crops working with its very long neck and a little head.
Nigersaurus is placed during the group of sauropods during which every one of the very long-necked and extended-tailed dinosaurs are placed. Nigersaurus was in all probability among the list of smallest sauropods for the reason that its neck was brief. An Grownup Nigersaurus weighed all around four tons and its size was corresponding to a contemporary Elephant.
French paleontologists discovered the primary fossils of Nigersaurus while in the Nigerian Sahara in the course of the nineteen fifties. Even so, considering that most of the bones had been either isolated or incomplete (due to their fragility), it was not possible to identify the species.
Nigersaurus had a jaw framework unlike another dinosaur. Its broad, squared-off muzzle housed more than five hundred slender, pencil-like teeth. These teeth weren't evenly distributed but were arranged in columns and rows, with as lots of as 9 substitution teeth driving Each and every Lively tooth.
Nigersaurus's feeding system was as opposed to all kinds of other dinosaurs. Its wide, flat jaw was tailored for grazing near the bottom, earning it the nickname "Mesozoic Cow."
For example, its fossils suggest that it experienced a broad, deep ribcage that will have authorized it to soak up significant quantities of air, facilitating its respiration and supplying the oxygen it required to sustain its large system.
The extensive muzzle of Nigersaurus was probably an adaptation to its low-lying herbivorous diet, letting it to easily scoop up and gather plant material from the bottom.
Like other sauropods, Nigersaurus experienced an extended neck and tail. Nevertheless, its neck was relatively brief as compared to other customers of its team, aligning with its lower-grazing Life-style. Its columnar legs supported its quadrupedal posture and served what dinosaur has 500 teeth bear its bodyweight successfully.
The initial fossils of Nigersaurus were being uncovered within the Elrhaz Development of Niger during the yr 1997. Even so, further examine revealed that Nigersaurus was basically a member of a special group of sauropods referred to as the rebbachisaurids.
Working with evidence from CT scans and 3D/Personal computer modeling, scientists have identified that the sauropod likely habitually held its head downwards, towards the ground — Despite the fact that this is hotly debated.