Nigersaurus

Niger lizard

• Niger · Modern place name · the country of Niger, where the fossils were found
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines the country Niger, where the fossils were found, with the Greek word for lizard, so it means "Niger lizard". It was named by Sereno and colleagues in 1999 from material found in the Elrhaz Formation of Niger. The species name taqueti honors French paleontologist Philippe Taquet, who first collected the remains. The animal is known for its broad, straight-edged muzzle lined with over 500 teeth.

Named by

Sereno et al.

Year named

1999

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stages

Aptian – Albian

Found in

Elrhaz Formation, Gadoufaoua, Niger

A rebbachisaurid sauropod. The type species is Nigersaurus taqueti.