UPDATE: Scotty the T.rex named Saskatchewan’s official fossil
Saskatchewan will choose its own official fossil to represent a rich paleontological history. There are seven candidates to choose from and the province needs help selecting one.
Candidates consist of a rhino-like mammal, a 92-million-year-old crocodile, “Mo” the Long-necked Plesiosaur, a woolly mammoth, a short-necked Plesiosaur, a Thescelosaur and “Scotty” the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Fossils were found near southern communities like Eastend, Herschel, Carrot River, Kyle and Ponteix.
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“Saskatchewan’s fossils are of remarkable value to scientists,” said Mark Docherty, the province’s minister of parks, culture and sport.
“They are a source of great fascination to our residents and tourists, and fossil discoveries are a source of pride.”
To celebrate the selection process, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) is holding a contest for students across the province.
Grade 7 classrooms are invited to research the fossils, using educational resources provided by RSM, choose the one they think would best represent Saskatchewan and create a video to argue their case.
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Videos entered into the contest will be posted online to help promote the fossils. The deadline is March 21, 2016. One video will be chosen as the winner and the students who made it get a visit from a RSM palaeontologist.
The public can also visit the museum in Regina from mid-November to May to see a temporary exhibit on the candidates and cast a paper vote. Online voting opens this coming spring with the winning fossil announced in May 2016.
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