Nigersaurus: The Bizarre Dinosaur with 500 Teeth!

Nigersaurus, sporting its vacuum-like mouth. (Source: University of Chicago)
Across the Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs’ dentition adapted to innumerable diets and ecological niches. The Tyrannosaurus rex’s serrated teeth could max out at 12 inches and the semi-aquatic Spinosaurus carried over 60 teeth in its massive jaws. However, while the carnivores may have been frightening, it was the herbivores who held the largest number of teeth. The duck-billed Hadrosaurus and the horned Triceratops held hundreds of teeth in complex dental batteries, while the sauropod Nigersaurus taqueti holds the record for the most teeth, topping out at over 500. Beneath each tooth were up to eight replacements stacked underneath, allowing the Nigersaurus to continually shed and replenish their dental armory.
Unusual among dinosaurs, Nigersaurus’ teeth were arranged along a long straight line, forming a shovel-like shape—from there, its teeth would grind up planet matter for digestion. Teeth on both the upper and lower parts of the jaw were convex incisors that pointed outward. Wearing on the teeth suggests they ground against each other during eating. The skull that housed these teeth was made of very delicate bones, with four fenestrate openings. In spite of this, Nigersaurus’ bones were able to take the toll of its abrasive eating style.
Reconstructed Nigersaurus skull at Denver Museum of Nature and Science. (Photo credit: Bernard Sandler)
Nigersaurus’ adaptations to its eating style extend beyond its dental battery. The genus was a part of the sauropod clade, a group of herbivores that used their long necks to consume treetop vegetation. Among the sauropods are some of the largest dinosaurs, but Nigersaurus was relatively small at 30 ft, its short neck allowing it to munch on grasses and low-lying plants. Additionally, Nigersaurus’ inner ears pointed downward, also supporting a body plan geared towards the ground. Because of Nigersaurus’ eating habits, it has been nicknamed the “Mesozoic cow,” thriving in the low floodplains of what is now Niger.
Because of its thin bones, Nigersaurus specimens fossilize poorly and thus few specimens have been discovered. The first was found during a 1960s expedition in Niger headed by paleontologist Philippe Taquet but the scarcity of material meant little was known of Nigersaurus until a Paul Sereno-led expedition in 1997. Much remains unknown about Nigersaurus—its small size for a sauropod has led to much debate over its posture and movements. Still, the dinosaur’s dental configuration makes it unique among dinosaurs, with adaptations at odds with the rest of its clade but fine-tuned to its own environment.
Interested in buying a dinosaur tooth? Check out our Pterosaur tooth collection, our Carcharodontosaurus, or our Plesiosaur and Mosasaur specimens!
Read More!
Sereno, Paul C., et al. “Structural Extremes in a Cretaceous Dinosaur.” PloS One, vol. 2, no. 11, 2007, pp. e1230–e1230, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001230.
Sereno, Paul C., and Jeffrey A. Wilson. “Structure and Evolution of a Sauropod Tooth Battery.” The Sauropods, University of California Press, 2019, pp. 157–77, https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520932333-008.
Featured Product
Boeing 747 - EI-BED Horizontal Stabilizer
Cool Things!

Learn How Scientists Made Woolly Mice!

Organic Glass Found Among Remains of Roman Guard
One of the most dramatic events in the history of the Roman Empire was the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. It is unknown how many perished during the eruption and its fallout, however, haunting images of contorted Pompeiians frozen in time by searing gas and ash paints an image of hellish, alien conditions. In a bizarre twist of the otherworldly occurrence, scientists have found the only documented instance of a victim whose brain was turned to glass by flows from the eruption.

The Mysterious Origin of the St. Mark's Square Lion!
Keeping a watchful eye over what Napoleon knew as “the drawing room of Europe,” the winged lion of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy, is a majestic sight. The origin of this iconic statue has been cloaked in mystery, but in September of 2024, a group of chemists, archaeologists, geologists, and art historians shed more light on this sculpture’s story.
Specimen Deep Dives

Returning to the Moon: The Apollo 14 Mission

The Secrets of the Space Shuttle: Learn about Mini Museum's Shuttle Tile Material!

Gondwana: When the Earth Was One
Long Form Articles

Top 10 Most Incredible Dinosaur Fossils Ever Discovered!
Dinosaur fossils have captured the popular imagination for decades. The giant, bizarre creatures that traversed the Earth far before the dawn of human civilization are the subject of countless exhibits, movies, books and television shows. Here is a countdown of 10 of the most significant and incredible fossils ever discovered!

The Mysterious Dodecahedrons From Across Ancient Rome
The ancient Romans left behind architectural marvels, a rich philosophical tradition, and a complete pantheon of gods and heroes, but among their many relics, the Gallo-Roman dodecahedrons remain truly mysterious.

The Crazy Story of How Star Wars Got Made!
On May 14, 1971, George Lucas flew into London for the first time. For a while now, the young director had been workshopping ideas for a space opera, jotting down an increasingly long list of bizarre names for people and places he could build a story around. So when he landed in London, Lucas marched into the office of United Artists head David Picker and convinced the executive to provide the seed money for his next movie.