New fossil offers glimpse into Manitoba's prehistoric past

A new exhibit featuring a rare90-million-year-old fossil is now on display at the Manitoba Museum.

The fossil, called Chomper, is a pliosaurthatlived during the Cretaceous period. The ancient reptile was recovered by amateur paleontologistWayne Buckley in 2002and donated to the museum in 2014.

It is the first nearly complete pliosaur to ever be collected in Canada, said the museum.

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"The addition of this world-classpliosaurskeleton is a great way to engage people in the story of Manitoba's prehistoric past," saidClaudetteLeclerc, executive director and CEO of the Manitoba Museum, in a news release.

Thespecimencould improve our understandingof the creatures thatonce dominated the waters over what is now Manitoba.

Pliosaurs are rarely found complete because their skulls are often separated from their bodies during decomposition, said Graham Young, curator of geology and paleontology at the Manitoba Museum.

"Since we have both the skull and paddles (flippers), this fossil can tell scientists a lot that was previously unknown about pliosaurs. It is being actively studied by scientists from Tokyo's Gakugei University and the Canadian Museum of Nature, who plan to write a paper about this discovery," he said.

Pliosaurs like Chomperwere large marine reptiles that wereonce on the top of the aquatic food chain.

When fully grown, they measured 12 metres long (40 feet) or longer. Chompermeasured about 5 metres long (18 feet) when itdied, said the Manitoba Museum.

Along with seeing the new fossil, visitors to the museumhave the chance to see what Chomperwould have looked like through a newre-creation of its skeletonsuspended from the ceiling.

Visitors can find Chomper and its skeletal representation in the Manitoba Museum's Earth history gallery.

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