Royal Saskatchewan Museum Launches Provincial Fossil Exhibit

Released on November 19, 2015

1. “Mo” Ponteix Long-necked Plesiosaur (giant marine reptile) - Terminonatator ponteixiensis is unique to Saskatchewan and known from a single skeleton.  As the name suggests, it was found near Ponteix.  This animal lived 78 million years ago when the province was a shallow inland sea.
2. “Scotty” The Tyrannosaurus rex – Saskatchewan’s “Scotty” is one of the largest T. rex specimens ever found – and T. rex is not an emblem for any other Canadian province or U.S. state.  In 1991, “Scotty” was found in the Frenchman River Valley near the town of Eastend.
3. “Kyle Mammoth” Woolly Mammoth – Mammuthus sp. (species unknown) - The Kyle Mammoth is a 12,000 year old elephant-like giant that has been the pride of the region since the 1960s.
4. Herschel Short-necked Plesiosaur - Dolichorhynchops herschelensis is only known from the one specimen collected near Herschel.  It is truly one-of-a-kind.  The genus Dolichorhynchops, however, is known from other specimens throughout North America.
5. Brontothere – Megacerops sp. (species unknown)- A rhino-like mammal from 35 million years ago, found in southwest Saskatchewan, an area that is known to provide the best record of animal life in Canada during that time period.  In Saskatchewan: Megacerops has been found mostly around the eastern flanks of the Cypress Hills.  This particular specimen was found northwest of Eastend in 1971.
6. “Big Bert” - Terminonaris robusta – the most complete and best-preserved specimen of this 92 million year-old crocodile was discovered along the bank of the Carrot River in 1991.
7. Thescelosaur - Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis – this plant-eating dinosaur is known from the Frenchman River Valley and was first discovered in 1968.  Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis was recognized recently as a new species that is unique to Saskatchewan.