Scotty rules: Province moves toward naming T. Rex official fossil

A mighty Tyrannosaurus rex who roamed Saskatchewan some 65 million years ago is a step closer to being named the province's official fossil.

On Wednesday, legislation was introduced to amend The Provincial Emblems and Honours Act to addthe Tyrannosaurus rex as Saskatchewan's provincial fossil.

Scotty, a T. Rex whose skeletal remains were discovered in the province back in 1991, won in voting in a popularity contest held by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, looking to name an official provincial fossil.

The process of selecting a provincial fossil was started in November 2015 by the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport through the RSM. Scotty was announced as the winner of the RSM's contest last year.

Scotty beat out a 92-million year old crocodile named Big Bert, Kyle Mammoth, Mo the Long-necked Plesiosaur and Herschel the Short-necked Plesiosaur in voting.

A copy of Scotty's skeleton is on display at the RSM's T. Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, Sask.

The T. rex will joinother official provincial emblems such as the western red lily (official flower), the sharp-tailed grouse (official bird) and the white-tailed deer (official animal).