Which Dinosaur had 500 teeth?

Nigersaurus is a herbivorous dinosaur that measured approximately 30 feet in length and existed around 110 million years ago in the region now known as the Sahara Desert in Niger. This dinosaur thrived in a verdant habitat, coexisting with the carnivorous Suchomimus, as well as other herbivorous species such as Ouranosaurus and Lurdusaurus, along with the formidable SuperCroc. Nigersaurus possessed a fragile skull and an exceptionally wide mouth, equipped with teeth specifically designed for grazing on low-lying vegetation. This peculiar long-necked dinosaur is notable for its broad, straight-edged snout, which housed over 500 replaceable teeth. The fossilized skull of Nigersaurus is recognized as one of the earliest dinosaur skulls to undergo digital reconstruction through the use of CT scans.

Our initial week in the field has been extraordinary! We have stumbled upon remarkable discoveries at every turn. On the first day, we uncovered the bones of the peculiar long-necked dinosaur Nigersaurus. This sauropod dinosaur boasts an unusual skull with up to 500 slender teeth. Our main objective for this expedition is to locate the remaining parts of this unique dinosaur so that we can study and reconstruct it for public viewing.

We are rapidly approaching this goal as we discovered a skeleton a few days later! The skeleton is positioned on its side with the tail arched upwards, measuring about 15 feet in length. Carefully, we removed the sand from the 110 million-year-old bones and created channels between the major sections of the skeleton. Soon, we will encase each section in plaster for transportation back to the laboratory.

But the surprises with Nigersaurus do not end there. Chris led us to a flat area of purple sandstone where he found the upper jaw of a baby Nigersaurus, small enough to fit on a silver dollar! This hatchling was likely less than a year old when it perished and fossilized.

A new carnivorous discovery

During a stroll across a flat area, Gabe made an astonishing discovery - the partially exposed bones of a new meat-eating dinosaur. She carefully uncovered the upper jaw, along with nearby backbone and hip bones. This dinosaur was a formidable predator, with the skeleton estimated to be around 30 feet in length. We are hopeful to uncover more evidence of this sharp-toothed creature as the field season progresses.

An enormous crocodile

Our interest extends beyond dinosaurs to encompass all the animals and plants that inhabited the ancient streams and forests 110 million years ago. Among the most common fossils we encountered in the first week were those of a huge crocodile.