Nigersaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nigersaurus |
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| Reconstructed skeleton in Japan | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Family: | †Rebbachisauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Rebbachisaurinae |
| Genus: | †Nigersaurus Sereno et al., 1999 |
| Type species | |
| †Nigersaurus taqueti Sereno et al., 1999
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Nigersaurus (say "NEE-jer-SAWR-us") means "Niger reptile." It was a type of sauropod dinosaur, similar to the famous Diplodocus. This dinosaur lived about 115 to 105 million years ago during the middle of the Cretaceous period. Its fossils were found in what is now the country of Niger in Africa. Scientists first found parts of Nigersaurus in 1976. But they only gave it its name in 1999, after finding more complete bones.
Contents
Nigersaurus: The Flat-Headed Dinosaur
What Made Nigersaurus Special?
Nigersaurus had a very unusual skull. It was quite different from Diplodocus, which suggests it ate food in a unique way. Its skull had many openings and thin bones. It also had a very wide snout.
This wide snout was filled with more than 500 teeth! These teeth were replaced very often. About every 14 days, a whole new set of teeth would grow in. This means Nigersaurus always had sharp teeth for eating. Its jaws might have had a hard, beak-like covering called keratin. The jaws were wider than the rest of its skull, and its teeth were placed far to the front.
Size and Body
Nigersaurus was about 9 meters (30 feet) long. This is quite small for a sauropod dinosaur. It also had a short neck. It weighed around 4 tonnes, which is about the same as a modern elephant.
Its skeleton was very light because it was filled with air sacs. This helped to reduce its weight. Even though it was lighter, its legs were strong and well-built.
What Did It Eat?
Nigersaurus was likely a browser. This means it probably ate plants with its head held close to the ground. The part of its brain that helped with smell was small. However, its overall brain size was similar to other dinosaurs.
Scientists have debated if its head usually pointed downwards or straight forward like other sauropods. Nigersaurus lived near rivers in a riparian habitat. Its diet probably included soft plants like ferns, horsetails, and flowering plants.
Nigersaurus fossils are very common in the area where they are found. It shared its home with other large plant-eating dinosaurs. It also lived alongside big meat-eating theropods and crocodylomorphs (ancient relatives of crocodiles).
Images for kids
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Excavation of a specimen in 2000
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Skeletal diagram showing known elements and size comparison
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Teeth at different growth stages, Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia
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Life restoration
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Restoration of the entire skeleton, with head in feeding posture
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Front view of reconstructed skull
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Model head at the Australian Museum, Sydney
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Crown form, wear pattern, and microstructure of the teeth
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Diagrams of the skull and jaw, and 3D reconstructions of the dental battery, skull, and brain, as well as sauropodomorph head postures proposed by Sereno and colleagues
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Location of Gadoufaoua in Niger
See also
In Spanish: Nigersaurus taqueti para niños
