The Texas State Dinosaur Gets a New Name

For about a decade, the Texas state dinosaur has been designated as the Pleurocoelus, an enormous sauropod that reportedly roamed the Texas Hill Country millions of years ago, leaving behind an extensive fossil record in the central Texas area. Recent paleontological research, however, indicates that the dinosaur bones previously identified as belonging to Pleurocoelus may actually be the fossilized remains of an entirely new species of dinosaur. The new species, dubbed Paluxysaurus jonesi after the owner on whose land the new fossil evidence was discovered, is apparently unique to Texas and is of equal mass with the Pleurocoelus, which was originally discovered in Maryland in the late 1800s.

The new evidence was uncovered by Southern Methodist University (SMU) graduate student Peter Rose, who was studying the bones in the course of pursuing a master’s degree at the university. SMU was analyzing the fossils in conjunction with congruent studies at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and Tarleton State University; paleontological digs took place at the Glen Rose site near Fort Worth. The new species is classified as a brachiosaurid, making it part of the sauropod family. The dinosaur’s unique status was determined by analysis of a leg bone, which exhibited unusually width at mid-shaft, and characteristics of vertebrae, teeth, and various other limb bones.

Paluxysaurus jonesi would have been an enormous four-legged herbivore supporting a small head on an elongated neck and weighing approximately twenty tons. The dinosaur roamed throughout Texas during the Cretaceous Period approximately 112 million years ago. It has never been found outside Texas, and recent research indicates it is the source of the majority of dinosaur fossil remains found in the Glen Rose dig. Four separate individuals have been identified within the dig, which also contains petrified logs from the same era.

As a result of this research, Texas State Representative Charlie Geren introduced a resolution in January 2009 intended to change the name of the Texas state dinosaur from Pleurocoelus to Paluxysaurus jonesi to more accurately reflect the species found in the Texas area. Geren represents the Fort Worth area and gained state-wide recognition for his efforts in unseating Republican Speaker of the House Tom Craddick, who had served in this role in the Texas House of Representatives since 2003 and was replaced in 2009 by a more moderate Republican from the San Antonio area. Geren was a vocal opponent of Craddick since Craddick’s support of school voucher programs that would have reduced funds for public schools throughout Texas; Geren is credited with helping to oust him from the Speaker position.

The resolution is intended to correct the public record and gain attention for this dinosaur unique to the Texas area. Texas has long been noted as a center for paleontological studies; three separate geologic time periods are represented in various excavations throughout the state, making it an invaluable resource for paleontologists and researchers. Geren’s resolution is a valuable step forward not only for the accurate depiction of the Texas state dinosaur, but for the field of scientific study and paleontological research throughout Texas.

About the Author:
Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas Realtor. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin real estate can be found on the net.