A new armoured dinosaur species has been named after a Royal Tyrrell Museum technician.
The species will dawn the name Borealopelta markmitchellii, after the technician Mark Mitchell.
The dinosaur was discovered at Suncor’s Millennium Mine in 2011.
Mitchell spent nearly 7,000 hours working on the fossil and research findings have determined the 110-million-year-old fossil to be one of the best-preserved dinosaurs in the world.
“I am excited to share with Albertans that this incredible, one-of-a-kind dinosaur has been named after Royal Tyrrell Museum technician Mark Mitchell, who spent nearly six years and 7,000 hours working on the fossil. To be honoured in this fashion is a testament to the high-calibre work of staff at the museum and the level of excellence they achieve in the field of palaeontology,” said Culture and Tourism Minister, Ricardo Miranda.
The fossil went on display at the museum this past May in their Grounds for Discovery exhibit.
