The Royal Tyrrell Museum says the best preserved and most complete triceratops skull found in Canada is now on display in Alberta.

The massive skull is part of the Drumheller museum害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淔ossils in Focus害羞草研究所� exhibit, which is updated each fall to feature the latest significant finds and new research.

害羞草研究所淚t is the most complete and best preserved triceratops (skull) in Canada,害羞草研究所� Caleb Brown, curator of dinosaur systematics and evolution, said in an interview.

害羞草研究所淭riceratops is not overly uncommon from the U.S. There害羞草研究所檚 a fair number of them, but it害羞草研究所檚 quite rare in Canada.害羞草研究所�

He said the nearly two-metre-long by two-metre-wide skull was found in 2014 and collected by technicians in 2015 during a survey after the 2013 floods hit southern Alberta.

害羞草研究所淥ver the course of a couple of years, they found more than 200 new fossil sites and they collected almost 500 specimens,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭he best thing they found, in my opinion, was this beautiful skull.害羞草研究所�

The triceratops lived 68 to 69 million years ago and its skull was discovered in the southwestern Alberta foothills, an area where dinosaur fossils are uncommon.

It was found along Callum Creek, a tributary of the Oldman River, almost two hours south of Calgary.

Brown said the skull spent many years in the lab getting prepared for research and display.

害羞草研究所淓ven though the specimen was found in one piece, we kind of had to exploit existing breaks in the block to take it out in smaller chunks,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t would be way too heavy otherwise.害羞草研究所�

Staff at the museum spent more than 6,500 hours over seven years preparing the fossil 害羞草研究所� nicknamed 害羞草研究所淐ali害羞草研究所� for the area where it was found. They removed more than 815 kilograms of hard rock to expose the skull.

害羞草研究所淭he skull itself weights almost 500 kilos,害羞草研究所� said Brown. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 quite massive.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 believed to be a dinosaur that wasn害羞草研究所檛 fully developed, meaning it could have gotten even larger if it had lived longer.

Brown said there will also be scientific research related to the fossil coming out.

The new 害羞草研究所淔ossils in Focus害羞草研究所� exhibit also has dinosaur footprints, another horned dinosaur skull, a fossil crocodile and plant fossils.

Colette Derworiz in Calgary, The Canadian Press