Does your state have an official state dinosaur?

The Oregon state fossil is a tree, Metasequoia, the dawn redwood.

Oregon was covered by seas and waterways during the Mesozoic period, so if you consider ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and pterosaurs to be dinosaurs, then we have those. You can occasionally find fossil shells in the mountains, which is always a strange pleasure.

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I’ve never understood why we need an official state anything– song, flower, bird, etc.

I mean… technically we’re a union of independent states, that have agreed to abide by a federal government. Each state has its own governor, and senate, and so on. Its own laws (as seen in Oregon’s recent decision to decriminalize all drugs and focus on prevention and rehabilitation, instead of punishment and incarceration). State flags, rocks, and other emblems of mini-national pride make a certain kind of sense…

I’m sure it made more sense when it was individual colonies – literally their own “states” – agreeing to the structure. The US was probably more like the European Union, at the time. It’s just shifted into something else.

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I haven’t lived in Minnesota very long, but my guess is that the state dinosaur is “MyPillow Guy” Mike Lindell.

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It doesn’t make any more sense to have a national dinosaur than a state one.

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Michigan’s State Rock (Petoskey Stone) is a fossil.

Ohio could have a State Fossil, (Dunkleosteus - Wikipedia).

I think limiting it to Dinosaurs is too restrictive.

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Still, we have a national dinosaur.

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…dies a little inside…

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HI can’t have a state dinosaur, if finding fossils is a prerequisite. The islands postdate the dinosaurs.

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Oregon has tons of fossils, including a town named Fossil. It’s just that most of them are from the giant mammal eras rather than the thunder lizard eras.

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Tully Monster is coolest of monsters.

I’ve been fossil hunting in Braidwood, IL but never lucky enough to find a Tully yet.

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maine:

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Oklahoma’s state vegetable is the watermelon. I don’t usually advocate mimicking Oklahoma, but if HI wants a state dinosaur badly enough, they’ll just have to declare something the state dinosaur.

Btw it was when I learned about the watermelon that I switched from thinking that lists of state things are totally silly, to thinking they were potentially really fun.

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Nevada’s is the ichthyosaur, and has been for a very long time. we love it.

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My state isn’t an official state. This is your reminder to call your senators and tell them that DC statehood is a moral responsibility.

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What’s criteria for a national anything, or a state anything?

We probably don’t need national songs. It’s not like we compete annually in a song-singing competition with other nations. But as part of our national identity, it’s a nice thing to have. I’d be happy if Oregon chose a plesiosaur as it’s state dinosaur. That would be a nice part of our state identity, such as it is.

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Right. Our fossils from the dinosaur era won’t be land animals.

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Official state X’s are usually opportunities for states to highlight their unique natural and cultural identities and histories. It’s not really any more or less meaningful than anything else humans do, really.

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OK, but when six states all call the Cardinal their state bird it’s not like they are really highlighting their uniqueness.

Exactly, it’s totally meaningless. :wink:

Yes. Missouri has Hypsibema missouriensis.

Kansas doesn’t but it should be the Mosasaur IMO.

ETA - oh we have state fossils, not dinosaurs. Kansas has two Pterosaur and Mosasaur.

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