The T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend recently unveiled a new permanent exhibit, “Saskatchewan after the Dinosaurs”, in the Tertiary wing of the galleries.
The exhibit is a full-scale diorama displaying the animals and environment that would have been found in southern Saskatchewan about 60 million years ago, soon after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
“It is an exciting opportunity to introduce the prehistoric world of Saskatchewan,” says Sean Bell, general manager of the T.rex Discovery Centre, “When people think of fossils, they think of dinosaurs. Here in Saskatchewan, we have a lot of really interesting dinosaur material, but we have an even bigger story to tell.  Saskatchewan has a great fossil record about the evolution of life in North America after the dinosaurs went extinct. This Palaeocene display will let us portray Saskatchewan from a time that is not necessarily familiar to most people.”
The exhibit features full-size models of prehistoric animals found in early Palaeocene deposits from around southern Saskatchewan. These restorations include Borealosuchus, the “northern crocodile”, a 6 foot long relative of today’s alligators and crocodiles; Champsosaurus, a 5 foot, fish eating reptile that swam in the swampy waters of south Saskatchewan; and Ptilodus, a small mammal known as a multituberculate, that is based on a rare skeleton found in Saskatchewan.
The new exhibit will serve to further develop the story of life in Saskatchewan, adding one more chapter for visitors to discover as they explore the very long, storied history of this province’s prehistoric past. 
“The recreation of individual faunas, like this new exhibit, is an important part of the telling of this varied story in Saskatchewan,” says Tim Tokaryk, acting Head of Palaeontology for the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, and adjunct professor of Biology at the University of Regina.  “If the act of doing science is communicating to other scientists, we must also communicate these new discoveries to the public.” 
Funding for the new display was provided as part of a grant in 2009/2010 from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport.
Scientific information and diorama concepts were developed in conjunction with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
The new display was created by artist Malcolm Mlodoch from Des Plaines, Illinois. Mlodoch has been a professional artist for 27 years and works in the museum field.
Mlodoch arrived at the T.rex Centre on Saturday, July 17th and it took him a full day to complete his work before making the long road journey back to his home in Ilinois.
“It was a long day for everyone, but especially Malcolm,” laughed Bell.
“This is the first really big change to the gallery in a few years and we’re really excited about the new addition,” he added.
Since opening in 2000 the T.rex Discovery Centre has had a presence in Eastend, delivering tours and providing displays about fossils and research in southern Saskatchewan to visitors from around the world.
The star attraction, “Scotty” the Tyrannosaurus rex is housed in the Royal Saskatchewan Museum Fossil Research Station, which is part of the T.rex Centre. Other exhibits discuss fossil animals from a range of geological times in the area, and include prehistoric sea monsters, dinosaurs, and the ancient mammals that followed the dinosaurs.
More information about the displays, programs and ongoing events at the T.rex Discovery Centre can be found at www.trexcentre.ca.