Geology Collection - Clevosaurus bairdi – Reptile Skull

Our Very Own Jurassic Park

Just a few kilometres from Parrsboro on the Bay of Fundy, the cliffs at Wasson Bluff have yielded some extraordinary finds from the Jurassic Period. This 197-200 million-year-old skull, found together with three fingers of the right hand, represents the first known occurrence of Clevosaurus bairdi in North America. The only living relative of this small, lizard-like reptile is Sphenodon, found on a few small islands off the coast of New Zealand. The species name bairdi honours the late Dr. Donald Baird, a Princeton University professor who made many outstanding contributions to the study of palaeontology in Nova Scotia and elsewhere.

Object type: 
Fossil specimen
Object #: 
NSM988GF1.1
Collection name: 
Curator: 
Date (age/made): 
Lower Jurassic Period, approximately 197-200 million years old
Origin/place: 
Wasson Bluff
Materials: 
Stone
Dimensions: 
Skull is approximately 1.9 cm long