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Whether it's something we're uncovering in the field or unveiling in our galleries - here's where you'll find out what happening at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
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What's New
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Something Big is Surfacing at the Royal Tyrrell Museum...
The Royal Tyrrell Museum's newest exhibit, Triassic Giant, features the world's largest marine reptile Shonisaurus sikanniensis. The ichthyosaur measures a spectacular 21 metres in length, and was recovered by a field crew led by the late Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Nicholls, former Curator of Marine Reptiles at the museum.
The skeleton was discovered in the early nineties, embedded along the bank of the Sikanni Chief River in northeastern British Columbia. Initially, its astonishing size and isolated location deterred scientists from collecting it. Eventually, recognizing the specimen's scientific value and the potential for damage due to erosion, Nicholls and her colleague, Dr. Makoto Manabe of the National Science Museum in Tokyo, embraced the challenge. Jackhammers, compressors, and rock saws were needed to excavate the creature. It took three field seasons (1999-2001) to excavate this 220 million year old "Triassic Giant" from its remote resting place.
In December 2004 Nicholls and Manabe published a scientific paper naming and formally describing the ichthyosaur. They concluded it was 30% larger than its nearest relative, and was indeed the world's largest-known marine reptile. Lacking teeth, they determined it was the earliest-known example of a giant filter-feeding vertebrate.
The temporary exhibit will be in place until 2010 and includes a tribute to Nicholls, a chronology of the project as well as a summation of research results. The installation is complemented by stunning photographs of the remote location, courtesy of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise. The gallery is over 1700 square feet and visitors will be able to walk the length of the specimen, getting a sense of its true size by referencing a silhouette embedded in the flooring. The specimen remains are set atop the imposing silhouette, still within their plaster field jackets.
The project was recognized by Rolex, which awarded Dr. Nicholls a Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2000 (www.rolexawards.com). The prize provided the financial support necessary to complete preparation of the specimen and garnered global recognition for the project. Nicholls passed away in 2004 after losing her battle with cancer. This incredible creature is her legacy.
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Tracks & Traces |
Find out what's happening behind the scenes, what's new in the galleries, and what special events and programs are coming up at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. It's all in the museum's bi-annual publication Tracks & Traces, along with a full page of kids' activities.
Tracks & Traces is a full-colour publication and subscriptions are free! Click here to subscribe and receive future issues of Tracks & Traces.
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Download This Issue (PDF) |
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Prize Winning Parade Float
The Royal Tyrrell Museum won First Place for Most Creative, as well as, First Place for Best Business or Non Profit in this year's Calgary Stampede Parade.
After becoming Canada's first major museum to receive the official "Go Green" designation from the Business Owners and Managers Association, the Royal Tyrrell Museum opted to build a float that was completely constructed from recycled materials. Pulled by six cyclists, the float featured a stunning sculpture of an Ichthyosaur created by Ottawa artist Alanna Baird. Inspired by the Museum's latest exhibit, "Triassic Giant," the ichthyosaur was made from reclaimed copper and will be recycled as a permanent fixture outside the Museum.
300,000 cheering people lined the streets of downtown Calgary as the pedaling Museum employees synchronized the swimming of their fish helmets, engaging the crowd along both sides of the route.
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Prehistoric Poster Contest 2008 Winners
Congratulations to Grade 8 student Jean Huang, of Regina. Jean is the winner of Best Overall Poster for the Royal Tyrrell Museum's 2008 Prehistoric Poster Contest.
This years contest challenged young minds with a number of exciting categories. Each category received numerous works of art worthy of display making judging this years contest
a real challenge. Some participants have been entering the Prehistoric Poster Contest for several years now and it seems that they just get better and better as time goes on!
The Prehistoric Poster Contest is a fun way for children to learn about ancient life on earth. It is the Museum's hope that this will in turn create a life long passion for science and natural history.
Click here to view the winning posters from this years contest!!!
The Royal Tyrrell Museum would like to acknowledge the following sponsors:
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Innovations |
Research Scientist Donald Henderson (right) and Field Technician Darren Tanke (left) of the Royal Tyrrell Museum got a little help from Alberta's harsh winter climate this past January when they removed the skull of a Corythosaurus (crested duck-billed dinosaur) from Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Originally excavated near the shore of the Red Deer River in the summer of 2007, the field crew faced the challenge of hauling the 148 lbs. field jacket (a combination of plaster and burlap used to protect the specimen) up a 60-degree slope of rugged badlands. As there are no vehicles allowed in the park, Henderson and Tanke decided to wait until winter so they could pull the specimen across the frozen river with a sled.
"This type of specimen removal has never been tried before and was so successful, I am thinking of doing it again next time a specimen is close to the river and awkward to get out" commented Tanke.
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Eotriceratops - New Discovery |
Royal Tyrrell scientists help discover a new horned dinosaur in Alberta
Drumheller. Scientists at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Canadian Museum of Nature recently discovered a new genus of horned dinosaur (ceratopsian) that lived in southern Alberta 68 million years ago.
Found in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation in Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park in central Alberta, the newly-named Eotriceratops xerinsularis (EE-OH-TRY-SAIR-AH-TOPS ZEER-IN-SOO-LAIR-ISS), is the earliest known member of, and possible ancestor to, the well-known Triceratops group. With its large orbital horns and a solid frill, this is also the largest and distinct type of horned dinosaur known in Alberta. It is also the first identifiable dinosaur from this specific area.
"Until we found Eotriceratops, there was a significant gap in our knowledge about the dinosaurs that lived in Alberta and North America from 69 to 67 million years ago," said Don Brinkman, Head Curator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. "The discovery of Eotriceratops is an important step in helping us understand the history of latest Cretaceous dinosaur evolution on this continent."
Eotriceratops xerinsularis is currently on display in the Royal Tyrrell Museum's new gallery Ceratopsians: the Horned Herbivores. The name Eotriceratops implies that it is an early member of the Triceratops group-the species name, xerinsularis, refers to Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, where it was collected. |
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