News Release - May 14, 2009
NEW INFORMATION ABOUT “SCOTTY” THE TYRANNOSAURUS REX TO BE REVEALED AT EASTEND CONFERENCE
The T.rex Discovery Centre, in co-operation with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the University of Alberta, is hosting The Frenchman Formation Terrestrial Ecosystem Conference on May 17-20, 2009, in Eastend, Saskatchewan. This conference will present new scientific information about "Scotty", Saskatchewan's own Tyrannosaurus rex (T.rex) and the ecosystem it lived in 65 million years ago.
Scotty achieved global fame in 1994 when the Royal Saskatchewan Museum began excavation of the skeleton. Recent research indicates that Scotty is one of the heaviest and largest specimens of T.rex yet discovered.
"The co-operation between the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the T.rex Discovery Centre in organizing this conference speaks to the strong working relationship between the ministry and the Centre," Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell, said. "This scientific fossil conference reflects the rich palaeontological heritage of Saskatchewan and the scientific community's interest in it."
More than 50 delegates will be attending the conference, and more than 30 reports will be presented on research by scientists from across Canada, the United States, Europe and Argentina.
"Not only are we continually learning more about Scotty, but other fossils found in southern Saskatchewan are revealing a unique story," T.rex Discovery Centre conference chairman Sean Bell said.
Topics at the conference will range from dinosaurs to birds, plants and the environment in Saskatchewan 65 million years ago. Examples include the announcement of the discovery of the smallest bone of a tyrannosaur known, the youngest T.rex discovered to date, and a new species of the medium-sized herbivorous dinosaur Thescelosaurus.
Most of the research is based on the study of, or refers to, Saskatchewan specimens - the majority of which were collected by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. This conference is the first to focus specifically on the diversity of ancient life in Saskatchewan.
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