Travelling Exhibits: Tylosaurus: "Omācīw” - Hunter of the Prairie Sea

You may have seen our ad on CTV – now you can see the real thing!  The Royal Saskatchewan Museum presents Hunter of the Prairie Sea, a travelling exhibit. This exhibit features “Omācīw” (oh-matchee-oh) a Tylosaurus (TIE-low-SORE-us) skeleton, over 9.75 metres (32 feet) in length. Near the end of the same period when dinosaurs ruled the land, many different species of Mosasaurs (MOES-ah-SAWRS) prowled the oceans and seas. “Omācīw” was one species of Mosasaur called a Tylosaur. “Omācīw” is the Cree word for Hunter. Ironically, our hunter of the prairie sea was discovered by a Saskatchewan Hunter. These pictures are of our installation at the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw in 2010/11.

The Palaeontology unit of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum takes the lead in interpreting Saskatchewan's fossil resources. For more than half a century, this unit’s staff has worked with great curiosity, care and skill in almost every region of the province south of the Precambrian shield, investigating the last 100 million years of Earth’s history. And the quest continues.

The people of Saskatchewan are privileged to call this wealth of history their own and the Palaeontology unit of the RSM feels equally privileged to be the leader in discovering, investigating and conserving millions of years of our past. The Exhibits unit of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum is excited to bring these interpretations to you. The RSM has always been intent on reaching out to the people of Saskatchewan.

Tylosaurus (“Omācīw”) Exhibit Details
Historical References
The Discovery and Preparation of “Omācīw”
Schedule and Booking Information

Tylosaurus (“Omācīw”) Exhibit Details

Accompanying the skeleton are information panels describing:

· What was the world of the Tylosaur like and when did the creature swim the ancient inland sea?
· How do today's paleontologists hunt for the ancient sea monsters?
· Where was this great big sea and where did it go?
· What else lived in the undersea world of Mosasaurs?
· How did the Mosasaur maneuver? Was it like an eel or a seal?
· What was on a Mosasaur menu?

To find out the answers to the above questions you will have to go visit this travelling exhibit when it comes to a museum near you. Or you could ask our palaeontologist by sending in your questions to the Curator of Earth Sciences.

Below are some examples of information on the travelling exhibit panel:

“Omācīw” has over 70 big nasty teeth and a unique jaw, with an extra hinge in the centre, which allowed him to better grasp very large mouthfuls of food.   “Omācīw” also had a second set of teeth on the roof of his mouth to grab and pull his food in. He swallowed big pieces with one bite as he didn’t have any molars to chew things up with.     Map illustration courtesy of Dr. Ronald C. Blakey Mosasaurs ruled an ancient seaway that once covered the centre of North America, including Saskatchewan.

Historical References

Our Saskatchewan Tylosaur “Omācīw” is just one of many Mosasaurs that have been discovered around the world. People have been discovering these monster-like creatures for centuries. This is a drawing from the first known discovery in 1770!

The Discovery and Preparation of “Omācīw”

Do you want to know where “Omācīw” was found? Image courtesy of Ken Girling

Are you curious as to how “Omācīw” was excavated? About a dozen people worked over three weeks, moving literally tones of wet clay, to help preserve this spectacular find. Image courtesy of Ken Girling

· What does preparing a fossil mean?
Check out From Recovery to Lab
 
· How was the “Omācīw” skeleton made?
Check out From Lab to Display

· Would you like to see what a living Mosasaur would have looked like?
Check out Earth Sciences Gallery: Old Fish Stories: The Mosasaur

· Would you like to see how we built the Mosasaur display that is at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum?
Check out Earth Sciences Gallery: Old Fish Stories: The Mosasaur

Click here to download the Fact Sheet for the Hunter of the Prairie Sea travelling exhibit.

If the Fact Sheet does not open automatically, click on “Get Adobe Reader” to download a free version of this program.

Schedule and Booking Information

“Omācīw” is travelling to a location near you!!

• Moose Jaw Western Development Museum • Saskatoon Western Development Museum • Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre • Estevan Art Gallery & Museum

August 26 – January 5, 2010 January 15 – June 22, 2011 July 8 – November 14, 2011 December 1, 2011 – February 29, 2012

Do you want to know more about our travelling exhibit program?
If you are interested in booking this, or other travelling exhibits, please email our Traveling Exhibits Coordinator or call (306) 787-2811.

The Skull of “Scotty”, our traveling T. rex has been on tour since 2005. Click here for more information.

Stay tuned for what is next in our travelling exhibit program!

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For further information contact the Exhibits Unit

Previous RSM Travelling Exhibits

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