'Ferocious' new mosasaur skeleton coming to Morden

Bruce the mosasaur is getting another friend. 

The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre has acquired a third mosasaur skeleton for its permanent collection. 

For those of you who are not fans of the Jurassic Park franchise, a mosasaur is an ancient sea creature known as a vicious hunter. 

This new mosasaur is a rare species known as Kourisodon puntledgensis, or razor-toothed mosasaur, of the Puntledge River. Its fossils have only been found in Canada and Japan. 

CFDC executive director Peter Cantelon said people will notice right away that this new addition is quite different than Bruce and his companion Suzy, the centre's other mosasaur, when they see its ferocious teeth. 

The new mosasaur is also quite a bit smaller, Cantelon said, as it is only about 4.5 metres long. By contrast, Bruce is just over 13 metres long. 

"It's ​very unique, in comparison to others," he said. 

With this latest addition, the centre will now be only museum in Canada to have three complete mosasaurs on display for the public, Cantelon said. 

It's great timing for the museum, too, since the species has been featured in the latest Jurassic World films. 

"It's something that is become more and more part of the public awareness," he said. 

The new fossil will be unveiled to the public on July 25 at 1 p.m. at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden.