Dinosaurs had diverse dental structures, from sharp, serrated teeth for tearing flesh to broad, flat molars for grinding plants. Each species developed specialized dentition to thrive in its environment. Among these varied dental marvels, one dinosaur stands out for its truly exceptional number of teeth.
Meet the Many-Toothed Dinosaur
The dinosaur renowned for its extraordinary dental count is Nigersaurus taqueti, a sauropod that roamed the Earth during the middle Cretaceous period. This ancient creature possessed a wide, straight-edged muzzle that housed an estimated more than 500 teeth. Its name, Nigersaurus, translates to “Niger reptile,” honoring the country in Africa where its fossils were first discovered. Nigersaurus was relatively small for a sauropod, reaching about 9 meters (30 feet) in length and weighing between 1.9 and 4 tons, comparable to a modern elephant.
How Its Unique Teeth Worked
The dental structure of Nigersaurus operated as an efficient “tooth battery,” a system where teeth were organized in columns and rows. Beneath each active tooth, up to nine replacement teeth were stacked within the jaw, ready to emerge. This continuous supply meant Nigersaurus had the highest tooth replacement rate of any known dinosaur, with each tooth replaced approximately every 14 days.
This rapid replacement ensured a constant supply of sharp teeth for its feeding method. The jawbones of Nigersaurus were rotated transversely, positioning all its teeth far to the front of its wide muzzle. This configuration, combined with its needle-shaped teeth and asymmetrical enamel, allowed the dinosaur to crop low-lying vegetation with an action often compared to a vacuum cleaner. Unlike the grinding or shearing typical of other dental batteries, the Nigersaurus system was specialized for stripping foliage.
Life and Environment of Nigersaurus
Nigersaurus taqueti was a herbivore that specialized in low-browsing, meaning it fed on plants growing close to the ground. Its diet likely consisted of soft vegetation such as ferns, horsetails, and early flowering plants (angiosperms), which were abundant during its time. This dinosaur lived approximately 115 to 105 million years ago in the middle Cretaceous period.
Fossil evidence indicates that Nigersaurus inhabited a riparian environment, characterized by riverbanks and floodplains, in what is now the Sahara Desert region of Niger, Africa. As a rebbachisaurid sauropod, it belonged to a group of long-necked dinosaurs, though Nigersaurus itself had a comparatively short neck for a sauropod. Its distinctive dental adaptations were suited to its ecological niche.