An Overview of Fossils and Dinosaurs by State

An Overview of Fossils and Dinosaurs by State Do you know the official state dinosaur and fossil for the state you live in? State fossils or state dinosaurs have been named by 42 of the 50 states. Maryland, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming have named one of each, while Kansas has named both an official marine and flying fossil. Three states Georgia, Oregon and Vermont have fossils of non-extinct species.  There is also the informally named but formally designated Capitalsaurus of Washington, D.C.   The state fossils make a much more consistent list than the state rocks, state minerals and state gemstones. Most are distinct creatures identified by species. On the other hand, some of the dinosaurs are honored as state fossils rather than state dinosaurs.   Dinosaurs and Fossils by State The Adoption Date lists the date that these were adopted as state symbols. The link usually goes to the best existing material from the respective state government or educational institution.  You can look up each of the geologic age terms in  the geologic time scale.   State Scientific Name Common Name (age) Adoption Date Alabama Basilosaurus cetoides Whale (Eocene) 1984 Alaska Mammuthus primigenius Mammoth (Pleistocene) 1986 Arizona Araucarioxylon arizonicum Petrified Wood (Triassic) 1988 California Smilodon californicus Saber-toothed cat (Quaternary) 1973 Colorado Stegosaurus Stegosaurus (Cretaceous) 1982 Connecticut Eubrontes giganteus Dinosaur Track (Jurassic) 1991 Deleware Belemnitalla americana Belemnite (Cretaceous) 1996 Georgia Shark tooth (Cenozoic) 1976 Idaho Equus simplicidens Hagerman horse (Pliocene) 1988 Illinois Tullimonstrum gregarium Tully Monster (Carboniferous) 1989 Kansas PteranodonTylosaurus Pterosaur (Cretaceous) Mosasaur (Cretaceous) 20142014 Kentucky Brachiopod (Paleozoic) 1986 Louisiana Palmoxylon Petrified Palm wood (Cretaceous) 1976 Maine Pertica quadrifaria Fern-like plant (Devonian) 1985 Maryland Astrodon johnstoni Ecphora gardnerae Sauropod dinosaur (Cretaceous)Gastropod (Miocene) 19981994 Massachusetts Dinosaur tracks (Triassic) 1980 Michigan Mammut americanum Mastadon (Pleistocene) 2002 Mississippi Basilosaurus cetoides Zygorhiza kochii Whale (Eocene)Whale (Eocene) 19811981 Missouri Delocrinus missouriensis Hypsibema missouriense Crinoid (Carboniferous) Duck-billed dinosaur (Cretaceous) 19892004 Montana Maiasaura peeblesorum Duck-billed dinosaur (Cretaceous) 1985 Nebraska Archidiskodon imperator Mammoth (Pleistocene) 1967 Nevada Shonisaurus popularis Ichthyosaur (Triassic) 1977 New Jersey Hadrosaurus foulkii Duck-billed dinosaur (Cretaceous) 1991 New Mexico Coelophysis bauri Dinosaur (Triassic) 1981 New York Eurypterus remipes Sea scorpion (Silurian) 1984 North Carolina Carcharodon megalodon Megalodon (Cenozoic) 2013 North Dakota Teredo Petrified Wood (Cretaceous and Tertiary) 1967 Ohio Isotelus Trilobite (Ordovician) 1985 Oklahoma Saurophaganax maximusAcrocanthosaurus atokensis Theropod dinosaur (Jurassic) Theropod dinosaur (Cretaceous) 20002006 Oregon Metasequoia Dawn redwood (Cenozoic) 2005 Pennsylvania Phacops rana Trilobite (Devonian) 1988 South Carolina Mammuthus columbi Mammoth (Pleistocene) 2014 South Dakota Triceratops (Dinosaur) 1988 Tennessee Pterotrigonia thoracica Bivalve (Cretaceous) 1998 Texas Sauropod (Cretaceous) 2009 Utah Allosaurus Theropod dinosaur (Jurassic) 1988 Vermont Delphinapterus leucas Beluga whale (Pleistocene) 1993 Virginia Chesapecten jeffersonius Scallop (Neogene) 1993 Washington Mammuthus columbi Mammoth (Pleistocene) 1998 West Virginia Megalonyx jeffersoni Giant ground sloth (Pleistocene) 2008 Wisconsin Calymene celebra Trilobite (Paleozoic) 1985 Wyoming KnightiaTriceratops Fish (Paleogene) (Cretaceous) 19871994 Edited by Brooks Mitchell