#FossilFriday! Brachiopods are shelled marine animals that are similar to bivalves like oysters and clams, but their shells are different. In brachiopods, the symmetry runs left to right through each shell, whereas in bivalves, the two shell halves are mirror images over a hinge.

#FossilFriday! This is a Ginkgo leaf. Ginkgo trees were very abundant during the time of the dinosaurs and are very common in the Grande Prairie area. Today, only one species still exists: Ginkgo biloba. Native to East Asia, they are commonly planted on university campuses.

#FossilFriday! Our museum features real fossils as well as cool replicas—like this cast of a juvenile T. rex foot, donated by Northwestern Polytechnic. Replicas are key in palaeontology: they are lightweight, replaceable, and accessible, bringing rare fossils to life worldwide!

#FossilFriday! When we think of fossils, we often picture bones or shells—but soft tissue can fossilize too! This is fossilized dinosaur skin from a hadrosaur. The pebbled, pentagon-shaped scales give us clues as to the species and where on the body the skin might have come from.

#FossilFriday! This nearly perfect 8 mm tooth, found just last week, is from a Boreonykus certekorum—a small dromaeosaur from the Pipestone Creek Bonebed. To identify a species from a tooth, we study the unique serrations along the tooth's surface.

#FossilFriday! Ceratopsian dinosaurs showcase an incredible variety of cranial ornamentation. From the horns on their noses to the shape of their frills, these features were highly variable, making ceratopsians some of the fanciest of dinosaurs. Pictured: Xenoceratops skull cast.

#FossilFriday! This is Tylosaurus pembinensis, an 8m-long marine reptile and close relative of Mosasaurus. A formidable carnivore, Tylosaurus swam the Western Interior Seaway, preying on ammonites, fish, sharks, and even plesiosaurs.

#FossilFriday! This Albertosaurus tooth was found yesterday at Pipestone Creek Bonebed! While most of the fossils we find there belong to Pachyrhinosaurus, we do find theropod teeth as well. These teeth are an indication that theropods were scavenging the carcasses.

An exciting new blog has just hit Blogosaur! 😱 🦴 Palaeo How-To: How Are Fossils Found? 🔎 dinomuseum.ca/2025/07/palaeo… "Palaeo How-To" is a series designed to give you behind the scenes access to how the science of palaeontology is actually done 🦖