Fossil remains of a prehistoric marine reptile were found at Syncrude’s North Mine.
The remains, which were found by Geotechnical Instrumentation Technician Scott Fisher on June 7 are believed to be a plesiosaur.
Fisher was checking the high wall when he noticed something that looked out of place.
“It looked different from other material so I went over to take a closer look. I was not expecting to see teeth and what looked like eye sockets of a skull, which I found out later were actually jaw bones.”
He said he normally walks along the bottom level of the wall, but because of the heavy rainfall, he decided to walk along the top.
Smooth pebbles were also found at the site which were likely in the reptile’s stomach.
Leithan Slade, public affairs specialist for Syncrude said the discovery gives Albertans a better look into the province’s history.
A report from Syncrude also says that the presence of sea creature fossils support the theory that the area was a warm inlet sea.
The find will be marked in Syncrude’s history along with over a dozen other significant finds.
