The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden, Manitoba, has introduced its new Styxosaurus exhibit, showcasing reconstructed models of the long-necked plesiosaur that lived millions of years ago in the Cretaceous period. The museum’s executive director, Adolfo Cuetara, revealed that the specimen for the exhibit was discovered in 1983 during mining activities at North Cox farm near Miami, Manitoba. Using 3D printing technology, over 400 bones were replicated and assembled to reconstruct the full skeleton, a first-time accomplishment for the museum. Additionally, artificial intelligence was employed to create a lifelike sculpture of the extinct marine reptile.

The Styxosaurus, an ancient creature with a long neck, could grow up to 12 meters (nearly 40 feet) in length and weigh over 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds). Its distinctive features included a small, eel-like head with sharp teeth designed for hunting prey. This particular specimen likely inhabited the Western Interior Seaway, an ancient sea that once divided North America and stretched across the present-day Prairies.

Young visitor Jorja Doerksen, intrigued by dinosaurs, was fascinated by the Styxosaurus exhibit during her first museum visit. Enthralled by the skeletons and skin model on display, she appreciated the local discovery of the bones in Manitoba. Doerksen expressed a particular fondness for plesiosaurs, drawing comparisons to the legendary Loch Ness monster. The exhibit also encourages visitor participation in suggesting a name for the Styxosaurus, a common practice among paleontologists.

At the end of the summer, a name will be chosen from the visitor submissions, with the selected winner receiving a Styxosaurus-themed prize. Doerksen proposed the name “Apollo” for the specimen, inspired by the River Styx in Greek mythology, from which the Styxosaurus derives its name.