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Canada is home to a thrilling dinosaur discovery that’s setting records. The skeleton is the remains of the world’s largest reported Tyrannosaurus rex. It’s also the biggest dinosaur skeleton that’s been found in Canada!

This dino weighed a whopping 19,400 pounds and was 42 feet long. The huge creature roamed Saskatchewan, and it has been given the affectionate nickname “Scotty.” The University of Alberta published a press release on March 22 announcing the exciting find, which was first discovered in 1991. The bones were encased in hard sandstone that too more than a decade to remove before scientists could begin studying Scotty.

Paleontologists identify biggest Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered: https://t.co/7ukaLZPDtz #UAlberta #dinosaurs #FossilFriday pic.twitter.com/TliiZxPzcx

— folio (@folioUAlberta) March 22, 2019

“Scotty is the oldest T. rex known,” explained Scott Persons, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. “By which I mean, it would have had the most candles on its last birthday cake. You can get an idea of how old a dinosaur is by cutting into its bones and studying its growth patterns. Scotty is all old growth.”

Scientists estimate that Scotty was in its early 30s when it died. “By Tyrannosaurus standards, it had an unusually long life. And it was a violent one,” Persons said. “Riddled across the skeleton are pathologies–spots where scarred bone records large injuries.” Scotty evidently suffered broken ribs an infected jaw, and a possible bite from another T. rex on its tail. Despite the injuries, this dinosaur was a sturdy specimen. Scientists measured Scotty’s legs, hips, and shoulders, and found that Scotty was heftier than other T. rex specimens.

To see Scotty’s skeleton in person, visit the new Scotty exhibit at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in May 2019.

Our Reader Surveys are an important tool in helping us to create useful content for our readers, and we like to thank our participants. Each year we do a random draw of the names of those who complete the survey, and we give a prize to the winner. This year Liam Murray’s name was selected. As his prize, he received a coffee table book titled The Paleoart of Julias Csotonyi, courtesy of Julius himself.

After receiving the book, Liam wrote the following note to our publisher: “Thanks for dropping off the book. I’m excited to take a look at it. Here’s a picture of me with the book.” He also noted that he was able to use the 2018 edition of Experience the Dinosaur Trails to help him in planning a trip for next summer.

Liam Murray, 2018 Dino Survey winner

Liam is a current student at the University of Calgary. As an athlete with the university’s Dinos, this dinosaur-themed book will be extra meaningful to him. We’re sure Liam will enjoy perusing the images of dinosaurs, sabre-tooth tigers, and more during his down time.

Thank you again to everyone who submitted the survey. Your feedback enables us to tailor our content in our 2019 guide for the most relevant experience for our readers. We’re excited to share new stories with you next year!

Thanks to all who entered our first-ever Experience Dinosaur Trails Photo Contest! We’re pleased to announce this year’s winner. We received some wonderful photos taken Dino Country in Alberta or British Columbia. (Wonder where exactly Dino Country is? Look at the map to view the Dinosaur Trails.)

Although it was not easy to choose one winner, our judges have narrowed their final choice down to… Ronnie Chua (How Meng)! His winning photograph (pictured below) is titled “Erie Landscape.” For his prize, Ronnie received a $250 gift card courtesy of The Camera Store in Calgary. We hope that the gift certificate enables Ronnie to continue taking more terrific pictures.

Sun setting over Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Alberta, Canada. The Alberta badlands is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world.

Ronnie stopped by The Camera Store yesterday to receive his prize. In the photo below, Ronnie accepts his gift card with The Camera Store floor supervisor Amani Henry.

Ronnie also won second place and received an Honourable Mention for his photo “Dramatic Sunrise.”

“Dramatic Sunrise” – 2nd place entry by Ronnie Chua (How Meng)

Our third and fourth place entries were submitted by Johanna Silver. Since we didn’t feel right about merely giving her an Honourable Mention, we’re also sending her two $100 gift certificates from Rocky Mountain River Guides in Jasper for a white-water rafting experience.

“Dinosaur Provincial Park 3” – 3rd place entry by Johanna Silver

“Dinosaur Provincial Park 2” – 4th place entry by Johanna Silver

If you’re looking for more photo contest opportunities, be sure to enter the Experience the Mountain Parks Photo Contest from our sister publication. Enter by 11:59 PM MST on Sunday, February 4 for the opportunity to win 4 adult day passes for Sunshine’s current ski season!

We’re pleased to announce the winner of our first-ever Dino Selfie Contest! Rick Groff won the contest with 78 votes for his entry. His eye-catching picture was taken at Gibbons Jurassic Forest.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Grande Prairie Region Destination Properties and Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association, Rick won a Grande Prairie Getaway. The prize package included:

• Two Night’s Accommodations
• Restaurant Vouchers
• Assorted passes to kid friendly & Family fun activities

Thank you to those who participated. Remember that we are still running a Dinosaur Trails Photo Contest. If the judges choose your photo as the winner, then you’ll be awarded a $250 gift card to The Camera Store!

Check out the other photo contests from our sister publications as well. Our first-ever Mountain Parks Selfie Contest ends September 30!

Have you taken a selfie with a dino model or fossil this summer (or any other time)? Then enter it or a pic of you in the Badlands in our Dino Selfie Contest. But hurry – the contest closes Thursday, August 31 at 11:59 PM MST!

A dino-themed photo of you (or you and your friends!) will give you the chance to win a getaway to Grande Prairie! This youthful city is bustling with action. The prize package includes:

• Two Night’s Accommodations
• Restaurant Vouchers
• Assorted passes to kid friendly & Family fun activities

The photo with the most votes WINS! So be sure to share your entries with your family and friends on social medias to help rack up the votes.

Enter our first-ever Dino Selfie Contest to win a dream vacation to Grande Prairie! Then share the photo with your friends on social media. The photo with the most votes win!

We’re looking for “dino-themed” photos for this particular contest. If you’ve taken a selfie in front of a dino model or skeleton in Western Canada, then you’ve got what it takes to win! Dinosaur Provincial Park, Jurassic Forest, Philip J. Currie Museum, the Royal Tyrrell Museum, and the Prehistoric Park at the Calgary Zoo are all great places for photo ops.

T rex Discovery Centre – Photo Courtesy of Tourism Saskatchewan_Paul Austring

Selfies in “dino country” qualify, too! The badlands are an ideal place to snap a photo. Click here for a detailed Dino Country map. And of course, we’d love to see photos of you digging for fossils!

We know the prize winner will definitely want to take more selfies during their getaway! The Grande Prairie prize package includes the following:

• Two Night’s Accommodations
• Restaurant Vouchers
• Assorted passes to kid friendly & Family fun activities

We can’t wait to see your photos. After you enter, click on the social media links on your photo to easily share and rack up the votes!

A new fossil discovery in British Columbia gives serious credibility to the fossil-rich province. Since 2001, Tumbler Ridge has yielded hundreds of dinosaur teeth, bones and footprints. However, the absence of skull discoveries meant that paleontologists had to get information about the types, age, and geographic range of dinosaurs from fossils discovered in Alberta.

However, Vancouver Island resident Rick Lambert found a fossilized tyrannosaur skull in Northeastern B.C. near Tumbler Ridge earlier this month, which was the first dinosaur skull discovered in the province. Lambert is an amateur fossil hunter who has found hundreds of small fossils in the past. His experience as a chiropractor and background in geology likely contribute to his interest in fossils. Despite his experience, Lambert was surprised to find the fossil and was also surprised to learn that it was the first dinosaur skull found in B.C.

The fossil weighs 100 kilograms (including the rock), and consists of teeth and a bone from the upper jaw between the eye and nose of the dinosaur. This particular fossil is about 30 to 40 centimetres long and 25 centimetres high at the tallest point. However, the original skull was probably about a metre long, and the entire dinosaur was probably eight to 10 metres long with a hip height of more than two metres. The skull bone will help paleontologists determine what type of tyrannosaur the fossil is from.

Due to British Columbia’s rugged terrain of thick forests and rock, the chances of finding a fossil like this are extremely slim. Paleontologists are thrilled about the finding, and are planning to attempt to find additional bones from the skull.

Dinosaur skull discovery in northeastern B.C. a first in the province https://t.co/YIumNOKLWo pic.twitter.com/zOHzSCtnDi

— The Province (@theprovince) June 18, 2017

Click here to learn more about the discovery.

Have you heard about our first ever selfie contest? This year we’re introducing a Dino Selfie Photo Contest, and you don’t have to be a shutter bug to win. Instead of judging photos based on their composition, creativity, etc., we’ll be selecting one winning photo by a random draw. We just ask that your selfie is dinosaur themed. Visit dino country (Drumheller, etc.), visit a museum to see a dino skeleton, go digging for fossils, just to name a few ideas.

Don’t worry if you’re a bit camera shy. You can also submit a dino-themed photo of a friend instead of submitting a photo of yourself. There is no limit to the number of photos you can enter, so submit as many as you’d like!

Enter the Dino Selfie contest on the go by logging into one of your social media accounts. To enter this contest, upload one of your 21 newest photos from your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account. If your dino themed photo is a little older, then just upload the photo from your phone or computer again to the social media account. Set your privacy setting to “only me” or “private” if you don’t want to show your friends the same photo twice.

You’ll find our contest app on our new Experience Travel Guides website and on the Experience Travel Guides Facebook page.

And speaking of friends, make sure to tell them about this contest! If you do, you can gain an extra entry for the prize. You might as well take every chance you can get to win the prize package. We’re giving away a visit to Grande Prairie for you and your family – or up to five friends! The prize package includes accommodations, free food and attraction passes!

Just for fun, we want to share a neat dinosaur picture found on Twitter. People around the world are fascinated by dinosaurs, and this iconic creature even marks a significant land boundary. Check out the photo below of the border of China and Mongolia.

IMAGE: China-Mongolia border marked by dinosaur statues pic.twitter.com/G0N9Dnm50G

— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 9, 2017

Brandy Yanchyk has filmed a series of compelling videos about the Dino Trails. Each video focuses on a combines beautiful cinematography with experts sharing their passion for dinosaurs.
In the first episode, you’ll meet the world-famous paleontologist Philip J. Currie. He shares that his passion for dinosaurs has been lifelong. He’s a curator, a teacher, and an excavator. Five percent of dinosaur fossils found worldwide come from Dinosaur Provincial Park, and Currie is thrilled to be able to help find the fossils there and guide future dinosaur experts in finding fossils at Dinosaur Provincial Park.

The second episode will take you to the Royal Tyrell Museum, where paleontologists combine traditional excavating practices with cutting-edge technology. You’ll also learn how the general public helps paleontologists at the Royal Tyrell Museum discover fossils and you’ll meet one of those dinosaur enthusiasts. The Royal Tyrell Museum specializes in Western Canadian dinosaurs. For forty years the people of Drumheller lobbied for a dinosaur museum.

The third installment introduces viewers to the fossil hunter who found Canada’s first discovered dinosaur egg nesting site which led to the creation of the Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur & Heritage Museum in Warner, Alberta. Ever since Wendy Sloboda found the nesting site, she has spent her life hunting for fossils. Her contributions have been so important that she’s even had a dinosaur named after her!

The fourth video will take you to the dinosaur discoveries in Northern Alberta. You’ll learn how fossils have been found as a direct result of industries like the coal industry, and you’ll also see an amazing bone bed.

The fifth episode will take you to northern British Columbia where dinosaur footprints were uncovered at the Six Peaks Dinosaur Track Site. New fossils continued to be uncovered in Tumbler Ridge, which has helped give Tumbler Ridge a good reputation as paleontologists make plans for the future, seek funding, and aim for world-wide recognition.