The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden, Manitoba, has introduced a new exhibit showcasing the Styxosaurus, a long-necked plesiosaur that lived millions of years ago. The exhibit features large reconstructions of the creature, with the centerpiece being a skeleton unearthed in 1983 at North Cox farm near Miami, Man. Using 3D printing technology, over 400 bones were reconstructed to create a lifelike representation of the Styxosaurus. The exhibit also includes a sculpture of the marine reptile, which went extinct alongside the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
The Styxosaurus could grow up to 12 meters in length and weigh over 4,000 kilograms, with half of its length attributed to its long neck containing between 60 to 72 vertebrae. Its eel-like head was equipped with sharp, conical teeth for hunting prey. This particular specimen would have inhabited the Western Interior Seaway, an ancient sea that once divided North America and covered parts of the present-day Prairies.
Visitors, like twelve-year-old Jorja Doerksen, find the exhibit fascinating, with Doerksen expressing her admiration for the skeletons and skin model on display. She particularly appreciates plesiosaurs like the Styxosaurus, noting their resemblance to the mythical Loch Ness monster. The exhibit also invites visitors to suggest names for the Styxosaurus, following a tradition in paleontology where specimens are given nicknames. The chosen name will be revealed at the end of the summer, with the winner receiving a Styxosaurus-themed prize.
Doerksen has proposed the name “Apollo” for the Styxosaurus, drawing a connection to Greek mythology as the creature is named after the River Styx.