Teacher, Legacy Charter School
2007 Project Exploration Science Teacher Field Institute
Neil Campbell Fellow
ON ASSIGNMENT:
Nigersaurus: Puzzling Clues and Startling Discoveries
November in the Sahara is hot and bone dry. There are no leaves to change color; there is no respite from the blazing sun. It was under these conditions that a member of Paul Sereno’s expedition looked down at a scattering of peculiar, unidentifiable bones protruding from the sandstone beneath his feet. The paper-thin skull bones were thought to be those of a theropod, light and agile enough to hunt its prey in the swamplands that were the Sahara 110 million years ago. |
Photo G. Lyon |
This was a logical but short-lived theory. As more skull bones were unearthed, a strange face began to take shape. This ancient resident of the Sahara had a mouth that was much wider than the rest of its head, a trait uncharacteristic of theropods. It also had only a single row of teeth at the very front of its mouth that seemed to be more suited to scraping up and shearing plants than tearing and emaciating the flesh of other animals. These teeth replaced themselves every month, much more frequently than in any other dinosaur yet known. It became apparent then that Sereno and his team had discovered a very unusual specimen, but the surprises didn’t end there.
Long hours of hard work in temperatures well over a hundred degrees uncovered a long-necked, elephant-sized, Hoover-faced, pre-historic cow. New imaging technology allowed researchers to take a look inside the assembled skull of Nigersaurus. (Paul Sereno and his team decided to call this strange new dinosaur Nigersaurus in honor of the country in which it was found, Niger.) A look at the braincase of Nigersaurus provided an idea of what its brain looked like during life. Images of the inside of the skull also revealed the semicircular canals of the inner ear. The orientation of this structure indicated that Nigersaurus carried its head turned down. The limited upward articulation of the skull on the neck meant that it could not have reached up into the trees to eat leaves. The conclusion was therefore drawn that Nigersaurus most likely spent most of its time with its head close to the ground eating low-lying plants like horsetails and ferns. The discovery of abrasion patterns on the outside of the teeth of Nigersaurus added strength to the idea that it spent most of its time grazing with its head to the ground.
On the ten-year adventure from the discovery of the first bones in Niger, to the unveiling of the completely assembled skeleton in Washington, D.C., there have been many clues as to the nature of Nigersaurus; these clues have succeeded in puzzling some of the foremost experts in paleontology. They have also led to new and profound revelations that fly in the face of much of what has previously been thought of the long-ago world of dinosaurs.
Dimitri learns to control the pitch, roll, and yaw of a plane
at the National Air and Space Museum.
Photo K. Atman
REFLECTIONS OF A DELEGATE
11/12/07
What are your goals for yourself during this unveiling?
I hope that by the end of this trip to National Geographic, I will have learned enough about Nigersaurus (its discovery and unique characteristics) to be able to return to Legacy [Charter School] and share this information with my students. I also hope to make connections and form relationships with some of the student delegates on the trip.
11/15/07
I used to think…But now I know…
When I first heard that Paul Sereno had discovered a new species of dinosaur, I thought it was cool and very interesting. However, I also thought that this was a common occurrence. After all, people find new species of animals all the time, both living and extinct. To me, what was cool about the whole thing was that I had met Paul and some members of his team. Now, after learning more about Nigersaurus and its unique characteristics, I have realized just how important this discovery is. This dinosaur was not like any other that we have seen. There is not just one characteristic that sets it apart. There is a long list of features that distinguishes Nigersaurus not only from other dinosaurs, but from all other known sauropods as well.
Dimitri captures the questions he has about Nigersaurus
at the Nigersaurus Delegation pre-trip training.
Photo M. E. Perez
11/15/07
The most valuable thing from this experience that I will take with me back to Chicago is…
The most important or valuable part of this experience for me was spending time talking with the student delegates on the trip. I was impressed with the way in which they absorbed information. They made a positive impression on the adults they encountered and served to instill in others appreciation for the work Project Exploration does.
Dimitri reads through the scientific paper that
was published describing Nigersaurus.
Photo M. E. Perez
|
.JPG)
