Bill seeks to designate Sonorasaurus as Ariz.’s ‘official dinosaur’
PHOENIX — A 27-foottall dinosaur that lived about 100 million years ago could soon have something in common with the cactus wren, the palo verde and even the Colt single action revolver: becoming part of “official’’ Arizona.
Members of the House Government Committee on Thursday gave their unanimous endorsement to the pleas of 11-year-old Jax Weldon to designate the Sonorasaurus as the “official state dinosaur.’’ That sends SB 1517, which already has been approved by the Senate, to the full House.
Weldon, a self-proclaimed amateur paleontologist, told lawmakers he was inspired after California lawmakers voted last year to select the Augustynolophus as its official state dinosaur. His research, he said, led him to the Sonorasaurus.
The “why’’ behind that choice is a bit more complex.
There’s the sheer size of the enormous creatures, getting as tall as 27 feet and up to 49 feet long. That size allowed the vegetarian to graze in the treetops that other animals of its time could not reach.
It also lived in what is now Arizona, though at the time the climate and topography was vastly different than it is now.
And then there’s the fact that the huge creature was featured in “Jurassic Park.’’
“I would not choose any other dinosaurs because they either are not relevant enough or not very well understood,’’ Weldon said. And he said he did not want to choose a dinosaur that might already be the official selection of some other state.
Weldon told lawmakers his interest in dinosaurs dates to when he was just 2.
“I think there was this little tiny globe that my parents had bought,’’ he said. “When you pressed it in a certain area it would say the name of a dinosaur and then it would like roar or something.’’