SANTA MONICA—California Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) recently introduced Bill 1540, to make the Augustynolophus morissi California’s official state dinosaur.
The Augustynolophus morissi is a duck-billed dinosaur that roamed the land that is now California about 66 million years ago. Its fossils have only been found in Fresno County. On Wednesday, March 29, the bill passed its first committee hearing.
California already has many official state emblems including the golden poppy as the state flower, the California golden trout as the state fish, and the saber-toothed cat as the state fossil.
Seven other states, including the the District of Columbia, have declarations for official dinosaurs. The declarations range from 1982-2009:
1982: Colorado – Stegosaurus armatus
1991: New Jersey – Hadrosaurus foulkii
1994: Wyoming – Triceratops
1998: District of Columbia: Capitalsaurus
1998: Maryland: Astrodon johnstoni
2004: Missouri – Hypsibema missouriensis
2006: Oklahoma – Acrocanthosaurus atokensis
2009: Texas – Paluxysaurus jonesi