Today, Assiniboine Park Zoo officially opened its Dinosaurs Alive!® exhibit presented by Artis REIT with the unveiling of the newest dinosaur to join the group – a 13 metre long Tylosaurus. Often referred to as the ‘T. rex’ of the ocean, the Tylosaurus is classified as a Mosasaur and known to be many sizes with one of the largest ever discovered found in Manitoba. Assiniboine Park Zoo is the first zoo world-wide to feature this particular dinosaur as part of a Dinosaurs Alive!® exhibit.
With the addition of the Tylosaurus, the exhibit now features all three categories of apex predators – land, air and sea. The Tylosaurus is distinguished by its elongated cylindrical snout which may have been used to ram and stun its prey. The dominant marine predator in the Western Interior Seaway, a full grown Tylosaurus would have been invincible in its environment to nearly everything except disease and old age.
““The Tylosaurus is a very exciting addition to the exhibit, particularly because of its history of discovery in Manitoba,” said Bran Adams, Education Coordinator at Assiniboine Park Conservancy. “In addition, Mosasaurs are related to reptiles, so it has some very interesting connections to the snakes and lizards we have here at the Zoo. I’m sure that visitors of all ages are going to love it!”
Included with regular Zoo admission, Dinosaurs Alive!® features 16 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs along a forested path in the Zoo. The exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to step back in time to the prehistoric era as the lifelike dinosaurs move and roar demonstrating how they may have looked and moved in a natural environment millions of years ago. In addition to the dinosaurs themselves, the exhibit features a dig site and excavation site where children of all ages can discover what it’s like to be a paleontologist.
Dinosaurs Alive!® is made possible through support from presenting sponsor Artis REIT as well as numerous supporting partners and sponsors.
