Canadian scientists are showing off a recently discovered kind of horned dinosaur that roamed southern Alberta 68 million years ago.
The specimen is now on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, about 140 kilometres northeast of Calgary, after two years of digging and 1½ years of reconstruction.
Scientists at the Royal Tyrrell Museum work on the new genus of horned dinosaur, which lived in Alberta 68 million years ago.
(Royall Tyrrell Museum)
Featuring large orbital horns and a solid frill, the newly named Eotriceratops xerinsularis is the earliest known member — and possible ancestor — of the Triceratops group of dinosaurs.
Researchers from the museum in Drumheller, Alta., and Ottawa's Canadian Museum of Nature made the discovery in a canyon in Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park in central Alberta.
David Eberth, a senior research scientist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, said that when scientists first saw the torn-up remains, they looked like roadkill.
"We thought, well, it's not a great-looking specimen," he recalled Thursday.
"But … we found it in a layer of rock where we'd never found any other dinosaurs — this is a horizon of rock that's about 68 million years old — and no matter where you go in North America we've got very little information about dinosaurs of that age."
Eberth said the Eotriceratops looked like a rhinoceros and lived in swampy areas in small herds.
Related
Internal Links
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
MORE CALGARY HEADLINES »
- Alberta highway crash kills 3
- Three people were killed and two injured Wednesday in a two-vehicle collision on the Queen Elizabeth II highway near Carstairs, about 60 kilometres north of Calgary.
- In Canada, shock and grief at Bhutto's death
- In Canada, people with roots in Pakistan struggle to adjust to the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
- Gunman opens fire outside Calgary bar
- A man with a gun opened fire early Thursday morning outside a Calgary nightclub.
- RCMP investigate death in holding cell
- Police are looking into the death of a woman at the RCMP detachment in Airdriem Alta.
- Canucks extend win streak over Flames
- Daniel and Henrik Sedin scored a goal and an assist apiece to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames Thursday night at GM Place in Vancouver.
Canada Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window