Dinosaur relics are on the move

Two of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum's (RSM) palaeontological travelling exhibits - Scotty the T. rex's skull and Omaciw the Tylosaur are on the move again. Scotty is moving from Carlyle to Moose Jaw and Omaciw is moving from Prince Albert to Humboldt. A third travelling exhibit featuring Big Bert will begin its travels around the province soon.

"The RSM travelling exhibits play a tremendous role in sharing Saskatchewan's rich and diverse past with residents across our province," Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Kevin Doherty said. "These exhibits travel to facilities every few months enhancing the quality of life for people outside our major centres. Building a better quality of life is one of the primary goals our government continually works toward."

A cast of Scotty's skull was on display at the Rusty Relic Museum in Carlyle since October, and moved to the Western Development Museum (WDM) in Moose Jaw at the start of April where it will be on display until September. A launch event celebrating the arrival of the exhibit takes place today at 1:30 p.m. at the WDM.

Scotty, a 65 million-year-old T.rex, was discovered in Eastend in 1991. Its skeleton is one of the most complete in the world.

"We are pleased to welcome Scotty's skull to the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw," Moose Jaw Western Development Museum Manager Katherine Fitton said. "Our visitors are accustomed to learning about the story of Saskatchewan's transportation history at the museum, but Scotty will teach them something a bit different. It is a rare and exciting opportunity to be able to showcase a physical piece of our province's palaeontological history."

Omaciw, a marine reptile called a Tylosaur, from the age of dinosaurs 72 million years ago, was discovered along the south shore of Lake Diefenbaker in 1994 and has been informing and exciting guests at the Alfred Jenkins Field House in Prince Albert since November. The exhibit will travel to the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery in May where it will be displayed until August. An event celebrating the arrival of Omaciw will take place Friday, May 3 at the museum.

Big Bert, who lived 92 million years ago, will be the newest addition to the museum's travelling exhibits with a fossil theme, but age-wise he is older than both Scotty and Omaciw. Discovered in 1991 along the banks of Carrot River, Big Bert, the world's most complete Terminonaris crocodile skeleton, is nearly six metres long. The RSM housed Big Bert in its lobby until February. Travel preparations for Big Bert are underway; venues are encouraged to contact the RSM if they are interested in showcasing Big Bert in their facility.

To learn more about the travelling exhibits, visit www.royalsaskmuseum.ca.