Meet Massachusetts’ Future Official State Dinosaur
Massachusetts Representative Jack Patrick Lewis thought introducing a bill that named an official state dinosaur could get children excited about both science and the legislative process. Lewis partnered with researchers to select nominees—a process that turned out simpler than expected, “because there are only two species of dinosaur whose bones have been found in the state,” Noel Heim, a paleobiologist at Tufts University, shared with Atlas Obscura. On 4 February, Massachusetts residents voted between Podokesaurus holyokensis and Anchisaurus polyzelus—and the former, a slender-necked Jurassic creature discovered by geologist Mignon Talbot, won with more than 60% off the vote. The process isn’t official yet, but when it is, Massachusetts won’t be the only state to have a dinosaur of record. Read more about the prehistoric animal, and the process, at Atlas Obscura.
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Via atlasobscura.com link opens in a new window
