HAINOSAURUS PEMBINENSIS

The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre is proud and excited to announce the latest addition to our world renowned collection of Cretaceous Marine Reptile Fossils.  A full scale complete reproduction of "Bruce", the 43 foot long Mosasaur specimen which was unearthed North of Thornhill, Manitoba in 1974. The fossils from which this reproduction was made have been on display in the Centre for many years, but not until now can one truly appreciate the great magnitude of this find. The completed skeleton is nothing short of incredible as one beholds it displayed for the first time. The sheer size of the creature is astounding, and almost fearsome.

The reproduction, which was created by PAST (Prehistoric Animal Structures) of East Coulee, Alberta gives a true to liferendition of the ominous and dangerous creatures that once swam in the waters known as the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of Central North America over 80 million years ago. (Click on the Geology section for a graphic representation.) Bruce's skull alone measures over 5 feet in length, which makes it very easy to see why the Mosasaur was the top predator roaming the waters of it's time.

This specimen is of the genus and species Hainosaurus pembinensis. This family is known to encompass the largest of the Tylosaurs - the giant Mosasaurs. Hainosaur remains tend to be very fragmentary and sparse. Most Hainosaurs were found in Europe in the Belgium-Netherlands area. As a result it is difficult to certify that this is the largest in the world. Almost certainly, it is the largest Mosasaur ever found in North America, and one of the largest in the world.

Visit the Centre to have a first hand look at what promises to be a great source of wonder and amazement for many years to come.
 

The most fearsome of the Cretaceous reptiles was the mosasaur, a long-bodied, air- breathing, scaly-skinned, flesh-eating lizard. It resembled a modern alligator, however, this resemblance is only superficial. It is the monitor lizard of Asia and Africa which is its closest living relative.

The average mosasaur ranged from 10 to 20 feet in length, although some, like the largest specimen (shown below) on display at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, could reach lengths of up to 50 feet. During their time, they were the dominant predator of the Earth's ancient seas. The mosasaur was a voracious fish-eater, cunningly adapted to its environment. The design of the jaws permitted great expansion, enabling the beast to catch and swallow bulky prey. A joint in the middle of each mandible permitted the jaws to bow outward when opened. Razor-sharp, recurved teeth lined the formidable jaws. The mosasaur also had a set of inner pterygoid teeth in the upper palate which were used to hold its prey.

A mosasaur backbone could consist of as many as 130 cup-and-ball vertebrae. The side-to- side movement of its long muscular tail enabled it to move through the water with great speed and flexibility. The tail was responsible for about one-half of its length. Its four flippers were webbed and acted as stabilizers. In order to dive deeply after prey the mosasaur was equipped with a sclerotic ring, a bony plate inside its eye. This served to protect it from the intense pressure of the deeper waters.

The mosasaur was a sub-surface feeder, subsisting on a diet largely comprised of fish.  However, there is some evidence that it was also cannibalistic. It is probable that mosasaurs bore live young. Due to their large size and lack of legs it is unlikely that they would have dragged themselves onto land to lay eggs.

Mosasaurs are named after the Meuse River in Belgium where the fist mosasaur discovery was made. 'Mosa' is the Latin form of 'Meuse' and "saur' is a form of the Greek 'saurus' which means lizard. Workmen discovered the fossil in 1780 while blasting in a cavern near Maestricht.