Assigned to GOV &                                                                                                                   FOR COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Third Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1517

state dinosaur; Sonorasaurus

Purpose

Establishes the Sonorasaurus as the official state dinosaur.

Background

The Sonorasaurus, or Sonorasaurus thompsoni, was discovered in 1994 in the Turney Ranch Formation in the southwestern foothills of the Whetstone Mountains located in Cochise County. The bones were found by a University of Arizona student Richard Thompson. Excavation began immediately following the discovery and ended in 1998 with 30 percent of the dinosaur being excavated.

The Sonorasaurus belongs to the brachiosauridae family and was dated to the Cretaceous period. Currently, the Sonorasaurus skeleton can be found in the vertebrate paleontology collection at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Twelve states have designated official state dinosaurs with three having been named in 2017. 

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Designates the Sonorasaurus as the official state dinosaur.

2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 12, 2018

JO/MG/lat