There's going to be one more prehistoric creature in town, as the Royal Saskatchewan Museum's (RSM) tylosaur, known as Omaciw, surfaces in Eastend on July 13.
The fossil of the 70 million-year-old marine reptile was discovered in 1994 on the south shore of Lake Diefenbaker and was given the name Omaciw (oh-matchee-oh) which means "hunter" in Cree.
"I am pleased the skeleton of this fascinating creature will be on display in Eastend for visitors to see for the rest of the summer," Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Bill Hutchinson said.
"It's a remarkable part of our heritage and a reminder that there is still much to be discovered about the past."
This exhibit includes a mount of the 10-metre-long marine reptile along with information panels describing the marine environment that existed in Saskatchewan 70 million years ago. The RSM and the T.rex Discovery Centre collaborated to have the exhibit on display for summer visitors.
"We are extremely excited to have the tylosaur join us in Eastend," T.rex Discovery Centre General Manager Sean Bell said. "To have the skeleton of one of the finest fossils ever discovered in Saskatchewan here is an amazing opportunity for the centre and our visitors."
In the fall, the exhibit will move to the Swift Current Museum where it will go on display for an extended period of time.
This exhibit contains the second exact replica of the original fossil. The first was produced for the RSM's Hunter of the Prairie Sea traveling exhibit which was unveiled at the Swift Current museum in 2010 and is now on display in Lloydminster at the Barr Colony museum. The traveling exhibit program was designed to make the RSM's exhibits accessible to communities throughout the province. The province's museums have enthusiastically responded and the exhibit is booked into 2012.
For more information, visit www.royalsaskmuseum.ca or www.trexcentre.ca.
