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