California looks set to adopt its first-ever state dinosaur. The state assembly voted yesterday on a measure introduced by Santa Monica’s representative, Richard Bloom, to name Augustynolophus morrisi our official prehistoric mascot.
There are already 33 state insignia in California, including poppies (the state flower), avocados (the state fruit), California grizzly bears (the overall state animal) and gray whales (the state marine mammal). The addition of the duck-billed dinosaur to the list as state dinosaur must, of course, not be confused with the state fossil, which is already designated as the saber-toothed cat.
Why should this dinosaur be named California’s own? Because fossils of this particular species have only ever been recovered here. You can check out a display of the local guy’s skeleton in the dinosaur exhibit of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County if you’re eager to learn more about his history, which goes back just a brief 66 million years.
The dino has his own Twitter account, naturally. You can follow his tweets at @augustynolophus. According to his bio, he’s based right here in L.A. and is a “firm believer in science.” No word on if Augustynolophus morrisi minds if we nickname him Morrissey.
Only seven states and the District of Columbia currently have state dinosaurs, proving yet again that California is just that much ahead of the curve. The next steps to finalize official status are a vote of the state senate and a signature from Governor Brown.
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