Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Encyclopedia
The Royal Tyrrell Museum is a popular Canadian
tourist attraction and a leading centre of palaeontological research noted for its collection of more than 130,000 fossil
s.
Located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Drumheller, Alberta
and 135 kilometres (83.9 mi) from Calgary
, the museum is situated in the middle of the fossil-bearing strata of the Late Cretaceous
Horseshoe Canyon Formation
and holds numerous specimens from Dinosaur Provincial Park
and the Devil's Coulee Dinosaur Egg
Historic Nest Site.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum is operated by Alberta's Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit. The museum's mission is to "collect, preserve, research and interpret palaeontological history with special reference to Alberta’s fossil heritage".
in 1990. In its first year of operation, the Museum attracted over 500,000 visitors. The average annual number of visitors is approximately 400,000. In 2010 the museum welcomed its 10-millionth visitor, a young boy from Edmonton.
rex and Albertosaurus
. Other exhibits include "Lords of the Land"; "Burgess Shale
", a diorama
of dozens of creatures from Yoho National Park
in British Columbia
; "Devonian
Reef", a life-size model of a 375 million year old reef
; a "Cretaceous Garden", with over 600 living species of plants, and "Age of Mammals" and "Ice Ages" which cover mammalian life in the Cenozoic. "Triassic Giant" is a 1700 square feet (157.9 m²) long specimen of the largest known marine reptile. The 21 metres (68.9 ft) long ichthyosaur
Shonisaurus sikanniensis was recovered from the shores of the Sikanni Chief River in northeastern British Columbia
by a team led by Elizabeth Nicholls, former curator of Marine Reptiles. This exhibit pays homage to the work of Nicholls, who died in 2004.
A window into the "Preparation Lab" allows visitors to watch technicians as they carefully prepare fossils for research and exhibition. Additional offerings include guided and self-guided tours of the badlands
, the hands-on "Nexen Science Hall" with interactive stations that introduce important palaeontological concepts, simulated fossil digs, fossil casting, school programs, summer camps for both children and families, and much more.
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
tourist attraction and a leading centre of palaeontological research noted for its collection of more than 130,000 fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s.
Located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Drumheller, Alberta
Drumheller, Alberta
Drumheller is a town within the Red Deer River valley in the badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Calgary...
and 135 kilometres (83.9 mi) from Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, the museum is situated in the middle of the fossil-bearing strata of the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
Horseshoe Canyon Formation
Horseshoe Canyon Formation
The Horseshoe Canyon Formation is part of the Edmonton Group and is up to 230m in thickness. It is Late Campanian to Early Maastrichtian in age and is composed of mudstone, sandstone, and carbonaceous shales...
and holds numerous specimens from Dinosaur Provincial Park
Dinosaur Provincial Park
Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about two and a half hours drive southeast of Calgary, Alberta, Canada or , about a half hour drive, northeast of Brooks....
and the Devil's Coulee Dinosaur Egg
Dinosaur egg
Dinosaur eggs are represented today as fossils. They represent the product of egg laying activity and can offer clues as to how dinosaurs behaved. In some cases the embryonic dinosaur is preserved within the eggshell, and can be studied....
Historic Nest Site.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum is operated by Alberta's Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit. The museum's mission is to "collect, preserve, research and interpret palaeontological history with special reference to Alberta’s fossil heritage".
History
The Museum is named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a geologist who discovered the first dinosaur in the Red Deer River Valley in 1884. The Museum opened September 25, 1985 and was given "Royal" status by Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1990. In its first year of operation, the Museum attracted over 500,000 visitors. The average annual number of visitors is approximately 400,000. In 2010 the museum welcomed its 10-millionth visitor, a young boy from Edmonton.
Collections and exhibits
More than 4400 square metres (47,361.2 sq ft) of the museum's 11200 square metres (120,555.8 sq ft) is dedicated to exhibits in a series of chronological galleries celebrating the 3.9 billion year history of life on Earth. One of the most popular is "Dinosaur Hall", with almost 40 mounted dinosaur skeletons, including specimens of TyrannosaurusTyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
rex and Albertosaurus
Albertosaurus
Albertosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, more than 70 million years ago. The type species, A. sarcophagus, was apparently restricted in range to the modern-day Canadian province of Alberta, after which...
. Other exhibits include "Lords of the Land"; "Burgess Shale
Burgess Shale
The Burgess Shale Formation, located in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, is one of the world's most celebrated fossil fields, and the best of its kind. It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils...
", a diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
of dozens of creatures from Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
; "Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
Reef", a life-size model of a 375 million year old reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
; a "Cretaceous Garden", with over 600 living species of plants, and "Age of Mammals" and "Ice Ages" which cover mammalian life in the Cenozoic. "Triassic Giant" is a 1700 square feet (157.9 m²) long specimen of the largest known marine reptile. The 21 metres (68.9 ft) long ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins...
Shonisaurus sikanniensis was recovered from the shores of the Sikanni Chief River in northeastern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
by a team led by Elizabeth Nicholls, former curator of Marine Reptiles. This exhibit pays homage to the work of Nicholls, who died in 2004.
A window into the "Preparation Lab" allows visitors to watch technicians as they carefully prepare fossils for research and exhibition. Additional offerings include guided and self-guided tours of the badlands
Badlands
A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
, the hands-on "Nexen Science Hall" with interactive stations that introduce important palaeontological concepts, simulated fossil digs, fossil casting, school programs, summer camps for both children and families, and much more.
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.