"Suzy" The Mosasaur Joins CFDC

Morden's Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre recently unveiled the latest addition to its exhibits, a new Mosasaur skull replica.

Affectionately known as Suzy, the new Mosasaur skull replica comes from a Tylosaurus specimen unearthed in 1977 from a bentonite mine near Thornhill.

Paleontologist Joseph Hatcher says because the fossil had not been prepared in the museum lab, no one really knew its full significance until it was rediscovered as part of the centre's Conservation Initiative Project.

"While examining the CFDC fossil collection to identify critical specimens for conservation intervention as part of the Conservation Initiative Project funded by the Museums Assistance Program, I came across this exciting Tylosaurus specimen which needed to be cleaned and stabilized," says Hatcher.

"I soon realized that although the specimen had been collected in the 1970’s during the heyday of bentonite mining in the Pembina Hills, the fossils still remained largely unprepared and still in their original plaster jackets, which had begun to disintegrate."

Hatcher says they have over 90% of the skeleton, and estimates Suzy will be about 38 feet in length when completely assembled. That's approximately five feet shorter than the Centre's star attraction Bruce the Mosasaur.

The restoration of Suzy's skeleton is being done by Drumheller, Alberta based Palco Prep Inc., the same company which worked on Bruce. Hatcher says what's really exciting is it's the most scientifically accurate Tylosaur skull replica anywhere in the world to date.

"There's been some knowledge obtained by researchers all around the world looking at Mosasaur bones, particularly one called a quadrate bone which allowed the Mosasaur to unhinge its jaw and swallow food larger than its head, a lot like modern day snakes," explains Hatcher.

"We've learned that that bone had a slightly different position within the skull since the Bruce model had been done, so the new information is applied to the Suzy skull.

While the average viewer may or may not notice a difference, it is, anatomically speaking, the most accurate Mosasaur skull in the world today."

Hatcher expects they will find more hidden treasures like Suzy in their collection.

"During the early days when this museum was first founded on the bentonite mining discoveries, those guys in those days were collecting fossils faster than their volunteer staff could ever clean and prepare them," says Hatcher.

"A lot of times we'll come in and we know we have a specimen, and we know maybe what animal it is largely, but we don't know the particulars.

As we open some of the old plaster jackets it's not unlike Christmas morning, is it going to be something like the average vertebrae or are we going to have a whole new discovery?"

As part of the conservation initiative, Hatcher says they have made some outstanding discoveries, a few them even being the first occurrence of the particular species in the Manitoba fossil record.

The new Suzy Mosasaur skull replica exhibit is on display now in the Bruce gallery.