SCOTTY SHARES STORY
T.REX TALKS ABOUT HIS PAST AND HIS PRESENT.
Saskatchewan is the proud home of Scotty — the Tyrannosaurus rex who is the official fossil of the province.
We caught up with the dinosaur at home in Eastend, where the T.rex entertains visitors during the warm-weather months.
Q: How and where were you discovered in the ground? Who found you?
A: On Aug. 16, 1991, a mere 65 million years after my untimely demise, my good friend Robert Gebhardt stumbled upon one of my vertebrae on the side of a hill in the beautiful Frenchman River Valley, near Eastend, Saskatchewan.
Mr. Gebhardt, along with Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) paleontologists Tim Tokaryk and Dr. John Storer, were more excited to find me than I ever imagined. They had to leave me there for three more years (which isn’t much, relatively speaking) before they could begin to explore more. They were eventually able to dig up 65 per cent of my fossilized bones that were buried like treasure. (I’m not telling them where the rest are.)
Q: How long ago did you roam around in what we now know as Saskatchewan? How many of you and your friends were here?
A: I was sort of a loner. I didn’t really connect with others of my species … but that’s okay. That way I didn’t have to share any of my food! You may notice a large gouge on the left side of my muzzle; that’s a battle scar from a fight with another T.rex. If I recall, we were fighting over territory. I lived to tell the tale.
Q: How do you compare in size to other T.rex specimens found around the world?
A: I may not be the longest or tallest Tyrannosaurus, but it is very likely I am the most massive (heaviest and bulkiest). I’m considered a ‘robust’ dinosaur. Robust refers to the size of my bones; they are larger than other T.rex who have been found. You can view my massive femur through the lab window at the Centre — it fills a fairly large crate and weighs more than 50 pounds. Q: Are you friendly?
A: Now that I’ve gotten to know people, I have really started to like them. I still really miss chomping on the juicy leg of a Triceratops though ….
Q: What did you eat?
A: Anything I wanted. My teeth were all razor sharp, so I could slice and swallow prey, or gulp up any leftovers I came across.
Q: What are people surprised to learn about you?
A: Because my name is Scotty, sometimes I am mistaken for a boy, but I am actually a girl. When my friends Tim, John and Robert found me, they celebrated with a special bottle of Scotch, thus the name “Scotty.”
The RSM scientists are leaders in their field and are discovering new things about me and my fossilized ‘friends’ all the time.
As mentioned earlier, I’m considered a robust T.rex; robust specimens are believed to be female because a paleontologist once found medullar bone deposits in the femur of a robust T.rex skeleton. These medullar bone deposits are found only in female birds, and act as calcium storage in anticipation of egglaying, to prevent bone calcium loss to eggs.
Q: Why don’t you and other T. rex roam here now?
A: One day, the sky got all dusty, and I couldn’t see the sun anymore. All the plants died, and so did the herbivores, so all my food died too. I loved to eat, and I was unable to survive in a world without food.
Scientists generally agree that 66.034 million years ago a meteorite collided with the planet in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.
The crater is still there (now underwater), and is more than 150 kilometres across. The dust created by this catastrophic event blocked the sun, resulting in decreased plant life, which in turn starved the planteating dinosaurs, so that left pretty slim pickings for us, and the rest is history.
However, relatives of T.rex still live today; we call them birds. Q: Where do you live now?
A: In 2012, a full replica of me was placed in the gallery at the T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, Saskatchewan to give visitors a clearer picture of my enormity.
The building where I live is really unique, as it’s built into the side of the hill just above the townsite. Before my fossil was discovered, I lived in the side of a hill too, so I feel right at home here. And the view of the valley is absolutely breathtaking (for those of you who can still breathe).
A replica of my skull can also be seen at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina. Although I mentioned I’m a bit of a loner, I don’t mind hanging out there with Megamunch. He’s a mechanical replica of me that lives at the museum.
Q: What other dinosaurs lived in Saskatchewan?
A: I used to love to feast on the Triceratops (I suppose they’re considered quite popular, next to me) and hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs) that roamed Saskatchewan with me. Thescelosaurs (bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs) were common, as were raptors such as Dromaeosaurs.
Q: How many visitors have come to see you since you were reintroduced to the world?
A: Each year about 9,000 people, including school groups, tourists, university students and dinosaur fanatics, visit the T.rex Discovery Centre. They come from all over the world to see me, so I feel pretty darn special. I mean, there’s other cool stuff here, but I’m really who they come to see.
Q: How can we come and see you? What kinds of things are there to do when we visit?
A: You can come see me at the T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, Saskatchewan. I am so happy to be here because it is in such a beautiful area. I am in the heart of the Cypress Hills and close to a ton of great places to eat, relax, and explore.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Scotty the T.rex had a big birthday on Aug. 16. There’s no way to fit 65,000,027 candles on a cake, but a celebration was planned at the T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, where Scotty has her home.
Open daily between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. until Labour Day, the discovery centre is a great place to make a summer destination for dinocrazy kids and science enthusiasts of all ages. Admission is by donation, so it’s also an affordable choice.
Despite the low cost, the centre is known for its excellence. It is even possible to take a trip through Scotty’s quarry using virtual reality glasses.
The centre is under the umbrella of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, so in addition to seeing one of the biggest T.rex specimens ever found, a visitor can also catch up on other discoveries by that organization’s paleontologists. There is a full fossil exhibit featuring marine reptiles, prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs that once roamed the earth now known as Saskatchewan.
Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky strongly suggests including the centre in summer planning.
“Whether it is for a quick stop during a summer holiday or as a final destination, visitors to the T.rex Discovery Centre and Town of Eastend will not be disappointed,” he said.
“Inside, the T.rex Discovery Centre offers fantastic paleontological exhibits, programs and events, and just outside the doors, families can enjoy a picnic overlooking the Frenchman River Valley or play on the dinosaur-themed play structure. To make a fulsome trip to the area, visitors can take in a round of golf and visit the pool in Eastend, or go camping nearby at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. I, myself, am looking forward to heading to the area.”
Located at #1 T-rex Drive in Eastend, the centre is a 1.5 hour drive from Swift Current and an hour from Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.