There's a new resident fossil at the T.rex Discovery Centre (TDC) has huge teeth, a hulking frame, and... flippers?
The new Tylosaur exhibit is the newest addition to the TDC that sets the imagination ablaze with visions of the ancient sea predator that would have swum over what would become the prairies, over 70 million years ago.
The fossil was unearthed in the hills near Sask Landing Provincial Park.
Aimee Castillo, the visitor experience supervisor for the TDC, is excited by the addition of the Mosasaur relative. She is already well acquainted with the details of this cretaceous critter.
"They were an apex predator," Castillo explained. "The specimen we have here is about 10 metres in length."
An adult Tylosaur could grow up to 18 meters, and weigh up to 44,000 pounds. While the one on display is a smaller specimen, it is no less thrilling to imagine how this massive marine reptile would have stalked the waters in search of prey.
Closely related to snakes and monitor lizards, the Tylosaurs themselves went extinct during the late Cretaceous Period.
Now, while this exhibit is new, it is part of available tours.
"The Tylosaurus that we have is part of the Paleo Lab Experience," said Castillo. "It's situated closer to the window side of the Paleo Lab, so guests can go around the gallery first and then heading into our Paleo Lab, they can see the exhibit in its full form."
Of course, people can take unguided tours and see the exhibits themselves as they wander around, eventually coming to or immediately heading for this brand-new display.
Guided tours of course come with the benefit of having someone who knows the material and displays, who can educate and answer any questions about the dinosaurs and their pre-historic stories.