The Earth Sciences Building at UBC just got an awe-inspiring new addition that is sure to turn heads - up!
Elasmosaurus is an ancient marine reptile with a neck so long and heavy it would barely have been able to raise its head above water.
These fascinating creatures roamed North America roughly 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. And, while the Elasmosaurus was a plesiosaur, a marine reptile, and not a dinosaur, the animals did exist concurrently with dinosaurs.
Now, a 13-metre-long cast replica of the reptile’s skeleton is suspended 5 stories high across the building's atrium. With over 7 metres comprising its long neck, the structure is truly jaw-dropping to behold.
Photo: UBC News
UBC's Pacific Museum of Earth, as part of its focus on illuminating Earth’s evolution, is using interactive teaching and learning tools to bring the permanent installation to life.
The University’s natural history collections also houses a Lambeosaurus skeleton, which is a duck-billed, hooded dinosaur, as well as a Canada’s largest blue whale skeleton, at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
