Among the diverse creatures that roamed prehistoric Earth, one dinosaur stands out for its remarkable dental arrangement, boasting hundreds of teeth. This characteristic enabled it to thrive in its ancient environment, leading to a specialized feeding strategy.
The Dinosaur with 500 Teeth
The dinosaur renowned for its 500 teeth is Nigersaurus taqueti. This herbivore belonged to a group of long-necked dinosaurs called rebbachisaurid sauropods. Its remains were first discovered in the Republic of Niger, Africa, where it lived during the middle Cretaceous period, approximately 115 to 105 million years ago. Early fossil findings were described in 1976, but more complete remains unearthed in 1999 led to its formal naming. The genus name, Nigersaurus, translates to “Niger reptile,” and its species name, taqueti, honors French paleontologist Philippe Taquet.
How to Say Nigersaurus
The name Nigersaurus taqueti can be broken down to make it easier to say. “Nigersaurus” is pronounced “NYE-jer-SAWR-us.” Think “NYE” as in “night,” “jer” as in “jersey,” and “SAWR-us” as it appears. The specific epithet, taqueti, is pronounced “tah-KWEH-tee.”
A Unique Dental System
Nigersaurus possessed a highly specialized “dental battery.” Its jaws contained over 500 teeth arranged in tightly packed rows. These teeth were constantly replaced at an exceptionally fast rate, with new teeth growing in as older ones wore down. Each tooth was replaced approximately every 14 days, a record among known dinosaurs.
The structure of its broad, straight-edged jaws was distinctive. The tooth-bearing bones were rotated, positioning all its teeth far to the front of its mouth. This arrangement allowed Nigersaurus to efficiently process vegetation. The enamel on its teeth was notably asymmetrical, being ten times thicker on the outer side.
Life of a Low Browser
The dental structure and skull orientation of Nigersaurus indicate it was a low-level browser. Its diet primarily consisted of soft, low-lying vegetation like ferns, horsetails, and early flowering plants, as grasses had not yet evolved. This feeding strategy led paleontologists to describe it as a “Mesozoic cow.” Its wide muzzle and downward-pointing mouth were well-suited for grazing close to the ground, allowing it to efficiently sweep up plant material.
Nigersaurus lived in ancient floodplains and riparian zones of what is now the Sahara Desert, an environment that was lush and filled with rivers during the Cretaceous period. Its feeding niche allowed it to coexist with other larger herbivores without direct competition for food sources. At about 9 meters (30 feet) long and weighing between 1.9 to 4 tons, it was relatively small for a sauropod.