Nigersaurus is agenusof Diplodocus -likesauropoddinosaur. It lived in the middle of the Cretaceous period in what is now the Republic ofNiger. Fossils of this dinosaur were first described in 1976, but it was only named in 1999 after more complete remains were found and described.
It Took Scientists Decades to Realize Just How Odd This Critter Was.
Nigersaurus received its scientific name in 1976, but paleontologists wouldnt get a decent idea of what the animal looked like until the late 2000s. Why? This dinos skeleton was, in many places, hollow, making it vulnerable to shattering and distortion. Before 1997, though specimens were common, no decent ones had turned upso for years, few suspected that Nigersaurus was anything other than somerun-of-the-mill,Plain Jane sauropod.
Nigersaurus Has been Called a Mesozoic Cow.
Lawn-mower impersonations seem to have beenits forte: Nigersaurus wide muzzle and shredding teeth were clearly designed for nomming onground-level vegetation(for the record, grass-guzzling wouldnt have been an option, as the earliest grasses hadnt yet begun evolving in its day).
Nigersaurus Spine Was Partially Filled with Air.
Its neck vertebrae are little more than delicateskeletal shells. Like many other dinos (and all modern-day birds), many of Nigersaurus bones were hollow and likely indicate the presence of a complicated, avian-stylerespiratory system.
Nigersaurus was a Short-Necked Long-Necked Dinosaur.
Try repeating that sentence five times fast! Sauropods are usually associated with extensive necks; some well-endowed species even placed over 35 feet between their heads and shoulders. But Nigersaurus and itsclosest relatives(which together formed a sub-group called the Rebbachisauridae) had little to brag about in this department.
Weve Found Pieces of Tiny Nigersaurus Babies.
Though adults were roughly 30 feet long, the itsy-bitsy fossilizedjawboneof a hatchling Nigersaurus was so small that,accordingto paleontologist Paul Sereno, it could fit on top of a silver dollar. Aww!
Nigersaurus was Fairly Light-Headed
Its noggin featured some abnormally-thin cranial bones; in fact, many arealmost translucent.
Nigersaurus Sense of Smell Left a Lot to be Desired.
Nigersaurus probably didnt spend much time following its nose. An examination of its brain cavity reveals that, despite having elongated nostrils, this herbivores olfactory lobes (which help the brain perceive scent) werenoticeably small.
