Royal Tyrrell Museum: The Mammal Hall

The final epoch in the geologic time scale, the Tertiary period saw the rise of our ancestors, the mammals. It's often overlooked by the previous era, and I'll be one to admit that my knowledge on the Cenozoic isn't quite as "up-to-date" as it is on the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. Nonetheless, Cenozoic era animals are as equally interesting as any dinosaur...

...Such as this Pliohippus. 

As you've probably guessed by now, Pliohippus was a close relative of the modern horse. Now for something a little more bizarre, Uintatherium! Life-sized, too!

What a skull! It's no surprise Entelodonts are nicknamed "terminator pigs." 

Two Megacerops (Brontotherium) locked in combat.

The grand display is the mount of a Woolly Mammoth, defending itself from an onslaught of Smilodon. The sense of scale it conveys is impressive, and there's a moment where it feels like you're actually there.

There's a scale that lets you find out how your weight compares to modern mammals. I managed to be as heavy as a deer (150 lbs). Maybe I ought to go on a diet!

In total, the museum took about three hours to tour thoroughly. The Royal Tyrrell Museum has remained a major research center for paleontology, and justifiably so. If you plan a trip to Alberta, or already live in the area, I highly recommend taking a visit. Even the trip there is worth it (which I will be covering in a later post)!

Museum Visits: Royal Tyrrell Museum Part 3

For a dinosaur enthusiast, there's little that can make one geek out as much as the Royal Tyrrell Museum's Dinosaur Hall can. Filled to the brim with replica casts and real fossil specimens, its enough to make the most hardcore dino fan look around with sheer awe.

The Late Jurassic Camarasaurus, from the Morrison Formation, is the first attraction in the Dinosaur Hall. 

Head over to the right of the Camarasaurus and visitors can find an Allosaurus with its latest meal, an unfortunate Camptosaurus. A Stegosaurus (albeit in an outdated "retro" pose) watches the vicious attack.

Not surprisingly, the bulk of the dinosaur that make up the exhibit hail from the Cretaceous era, such as this Gorgosaurus (right) and Euoplocephalus (left). As an avid ankylosaur lover, the Euoplocephalus mount looks absolutely gorgeous. It's a bit of a shame most ankyosaur remains are, for the most part, incomplete.

Gorgosaurus makes another appearance, this time scavenging the carcass of a Centrosaurus. The diorama represents the famous bone bed discovered in Alberta containing at least 200 Centrosaurus remains. Whether or not it was a flash flood that killed the ceratopsians, it's certain that theropods and other carnivores would have scavenged the bodies.

Remarkably well-preserved fossils of Pachyrhinosaurus.

Psittacosaurus lived in Mongolia and is considered one of the earliest known ceratopsians. Lack of facial horns and a bipedal stance certainly don't make it look like Triceratops, but it matches other primitive ceratopsians like Aquillops.

Chasmosaurus, like Pachyrhinosaurus and Centrosaurus,lived in Alberta and were most likely a substantial prey item for tyrannosaurs like Gorgosaurus and Albertosaurus.

Hadrosaurs were abundant during the Cretaceous, Canada especially. Pictured are Lambeosaurus (above) and Gryposaurus (below).

A collection of hadrosaur skulls.

Ornithomimus attempts to make off with Maiasaura eggs.

Back near the Gorgosaurus mount you can find several Dromaeosaurus.

The museum even has a marine exhibit! Mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, pliosaurus, the exhibit showcases what life would been like in the Western Interior Seaway.

The Maastrichtian Cretaceous is our final stop in the Mesozoic era, and the familiar three-horned face finally appears! Triceratops was, you guessed it, one of the very last dinosaurs to live during the Cretaceous.

Hypacrosaurus, the near the highest lizard (that's what its name means! It was almost as tall as Tyrannosaurus).

Tyrannosaurus claims its position as king in the hall, looming gleefully over every other dinosaur. This specific mount is pretty notable for appearing in that old IMAX film T. rex: Back to the Cretaceous

A close-up of the tyrant king's skull.

There's only one more exhibit after the dinosaur hall, and its the Age of Mammals. Next time, we'll visit our modern ancestors in the Tertiary era!

Museum Visits - Royal Tyrrell Museum Part 2

If you've ever been to the Field Museum in Chicago, there are two things that you at least probably remember. One would be Sue the Tyrannosaurus, and the other is the Evolving Planet exhibit, which takes museum guests in a "walk through time." Today, our focus is not on the Field Museum, but on the second half of the Royal Tyrrell Museum and their own walk through time exhibit.

The first stop is the Burgess Shale, a fossil formation from the Cambrian era, approximately 500 Million Years Ago. Organisms, such as the predatory Anomalocaris shown above, were highly complex, nearly all of them easily mistakable for aliens from another planet. My favorite is the Opabinia. The room was very dark, so I apologize for the somewhat poor quality of the photo. 

Continuing our trip through the Paleozoic, there's a microscope for visitors to observe fossilized microorganisms. Neat. Past that, and you've reached the Devonian. Present is a really cool diorama of a Devonian "coral reef." 

Of course, a Devonian exhibit isn't complete without a Dunkleosteus. I can say without a doubt that Dunkleosteus is the most famous Devonian fish currently known. 

Back down at the main floor, and we've reached the Carboniferous era, about 360 MYA. Amphibians had now evolved, and tetrapods were now one step closer to conquering land. A little fun piece of trivia: the Carboniferous era marked the point in which atmospheric oxygen reached their highest. The result? Super-sized bugs like Arthropleura, a 6 foot long millipede.

The final stop in the Paleozoic era: the Permian. Eryops was one of the more famous prehistoric amphibians, making numerous appearances in (mainly vintage) dinosaur books.

Dimetrodon mounts. Another bit of trivia that some of you might already know: These reptiles are more closely related to mammals, us, than they are to dinosaurs! 

Exiting the Paleozoic era, and we're greeted by the Triassic. Up above are remains of Shonisaurus, one of the biggest genera of ichthyosaur. 

And that concludes part 2 of the Royal Tyrrell Museum! In part 3, we'll explore the Dinosaur Hall, the museum largest exhibit. Until next time!

Museum Visits: Royal Tyrrell Museum Part 1

With my recent trip to Canada, I've had the opportunity to visit one of the most well-respected and paleontologically-important museums in the world: the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The museum, founded in 1985, was named in honor of Joseph B. Tyrrell, a Canadian geologist who would discover the fossilized remains of Albertosaurus sarcophagus in the Red Deer River Valley in 1884, which, would be the first dinosaur fossil found in that area. Since then, the museum houses one of the finest collections of fossils in the world.

   The front entrance of the museum is guarded by a well-crafted Albertosaurus statue. With excellent detail put into it, the statue is an indicator of the quality exhibits the museum boasts.

Inside, you're greeted by the first exhibit, Cretaceous Alberta. Extremely realistic statues showcase a family of Albertosaurus crossing a mud bank. Pictured above is a massive female Albertosaurus alongside her infant. With the discovery of a bone bed containing at least 22 different Albertosaurus specimens, it's been long speculated that Albertosaurus, as well as other tyrannosaurs, lived in packs. The idea of a gang-life is well-represented here.

A sub-adult Albertosaurus. Living in packs does make it much easier to bring down that duckbill dinosaur, or that pesky Eotriceratops.

Following the Cretaceous Alberta exhibit is Fossils in Focus. Here, the museum displays some of their most impressive specimens, like this extremely well-preserved mosasaur.

Very surprisingly, they even had the skull of Regaliceratops on display! Considering that the dinosaur hadn't even been discovered less than two weeks ago at the time of my visit, it was an exciting moment to be able to see the specimen up close.

Having trouble figuring out what this is? Pictured is a remarkably amazing specimen of a hadrosaur. Older than other hadrosaur fossils found in the area, there is a possibility that this could be a new species!

The recently discovered Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum, named and described in 2013.

Don't let this familiar-looking face fool you. This is Eotriceratops, a close relative of its more famous cousin, Triceratops.

Gorgosaurus, another dinosaur with a more famous relative, Tyrannosaurus rex. It's been debated on whether or not Gorgosaurus and Albertosaurus are the same genus, with most paleontologists agreeing there's enough difference to classify them as different.

The "Black Beauty" Tyrannosaurus specimen, so named because of its unique color gained from fossilization. 

The third exhibit happens to be my favorite - no surprise, considering theropods are my favorite suborder of dinosaurs. Titled Lords of the Land, the star is no doubt the massive Tyrannosaurus rex mount, gaping jaws open, ready to swallow unsuspecting prey. Viewing mounted skeletons, one can appreciate the sheer terror the animal must have instilled 65 million years ago. Talking to museum staff, I learned that a cast of this particular skeleton was used for "Rexy," the admittedly adorable T. rex seen in the 2006 film Night at the Museum and its following sequels.

Gorgosaurus and Ornithomimus specimens, both in the classic "dino death pose," respectively. The Gorgosaurus had died as a juvenile, not uncommon of dinosaurs.

Ornithomimus mounts. With no weapons at their disposal, these guys had to rely on their speed to escape the hungry jaws of a T. rex.

Say the word "raptor," and everyone knows exactly what you're talking about. Say the correct term, "Dromaeosaur," and you'll most likely cook up a collection of confused faces, unless you'd happen to be talking to a person like me. The "dromaeosaurs" of LOTL include Saurornitholestes and Dromaeosaurus, (respectively).

The actual Black Beauty skull is on display as well. I find it stunning how well-preserved some fossils can get, and how well they hold up after millions of years.

And that concludes part 1 of the Royal Tyrrell Museum! In Part 2, we'll take a trip all the back to the Burgess Shale, 505 million years ago in the Paleozoic era. In the words of John Arnold, 

"Hold on to your butts!"