On Monday, May 2, 2022, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill that declared the Official State Dinosaur which is not me (though the Owlets did suggest that) but a Podokesaurus Holyokensis. A couple of things here: ummm, what? And also this must have been Governor Baker’s best day ever. Well, maybe right after the day he said he is not running for re-election. Massachusetts joins an illustrious group of 12 other states to have an official state dinosaur.

In a startling similarity to the state of Massachusetts, Podokesaurus was teeny tiny, estimated to be less than a foot tall and three feet long (about the size of MA), but attitudinal. Yep much like we like to snip at New York or say Florida, Podey (may I? I may.) would bite the kneecaps of the Brontosaurus. Fine. I made the last part up.

Podey’s discovery story is pretty cool too. According to Boston.com, Podokesaurus was discovered by Professor Mignon Talbot, one of the first women to earn a Ph.D. in geology from Yale University and the first woman to become a member of the Paleontological Society. She taught geology and geography at Mount Holyoke College–hence the “holyokensis” moniker. Upon her discovery in 1910, she exclaimed “I have found a real live fossil!” which does strike me as a bit funny. You can learn more about this interesting woman at the link above.

The other part of the story that I love is that the state dino idea came about through a state representative, Jack Lewis of 7th Middlesex, who started it as a project to keep his Cub Scout troop busy during the pandemic. Silver linings and fossils of the pandemic.

Fun Friday at the Weston Owl.