Discovered deep in the mountains of northern British Columbia, Ferrisaurus sustutensis is the province’s first officially named dinosaur. This small, beaked herbivore roamed the ancient floodplains near the Sustut River around 67 million years ago.
The fossil remains of Ferrisaurus sustutensis were first found in 1971 near the Sustut River in northern BC. The bones sat in storage for decades before paleontologists revisited them. In 2019, researchers from the Royal BC Museum formally named and described the species. The name Ferrisaurus means "Iron Lizard," referencing the nearby railway. This discovery is significant as it represents British Columbia’s first unique dinosaur species.
Read the original study: Ferrisaurus Research Paper
Ferrisaurus was a leptoceratopsid, a small, hornless relative of Triceratops. It measured approximately 5.7 feet (1.75 meters) in length and weighed around 330 pounds (150 kg). It walked on two strong hind legs and used its beak to shear through plants. Unlike Triceratops, it lacked large horns or a frill.
Learn more: Royal BC Museum Ferrisaurus
Sixty-seven million years ago, British Columbia was warmer and more humid, covered in coastal forests, rivers, and floodplains. Ferrisaurus likely lived alongside other dinosaurs, crocodiles, and flying reptiles. Its fossils were preserved in a mountainous region, suggesting it may have lived in upland environments, different from the vast plains where many dinosaurs of Alberta were found.
Explore British Columbia’s prehistoric past: Dinosaur Discoveries in BC
Ferrisaurus sustutensis is the first dinosaur species named from British Columbia. It shows that the province had a unique ecosystem separate from Alberta’s famous badlands. Its discovery opens the door for more fossil finds in British Columbia’s rugged terrain, highlighting the diversity of prehistoric life in the region.
Just a few to keep things running smoothly.