During the age of the dinosaurs 82 million years ago, Nebraska was covered with a great inland sea. One of the most feared creatures in that water was the tylosaurus, the largest mosasaur and dominant predator in the sea during the cretaceous period. Our Cretaceous Sea features not only a 30-foot sculpture of a tylosaurus, but also a 17-foot replica of a xiphactinus; a Protostega turtle, roughly the size of a compact car; and three ammonites. These life-sized sculptures were created by award-winning paleo-artist, and native Nebraskan, Gary Staab.
We also have a number of the real and replica fossils on the second floor that visitors can examine up close. These specimens date from the Cambrian Seas to Ice Age Mammals, including a mammoth tusk, prehistoric bison skulls, giant sloth bones, and mastodon teeth. The second floor is a great place to grab a photo of your group in front of this exhibit.