Did you know California has a state dinosaur? Meet ‘Auggie’

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The California grizzly bear is probably the most recognizable symbol associated with the Golden State, but many might not be aware that a prehistoric emblem exists as well.

Augustynolophus morrisi — affectionately referred to as “Auggie” by some — is an extinct genus of duck-billed hadrosaur that once roamed near Central California.

State assembly member Richard Bloom first introduced the bill that would give California a state dinosaur in March of 2017. He suggested that adopting an official state dinosaur would “recognize an important part of our history” and foster more interest in paleontology and science. Then-California Gov. Jerry Brown approved the bill in September later that year.

The dinosaur was named in honor of two Californians — Dr. William J. Morris, a geologist and paleontologist, and Gretchen Agustyn, a philanthropist and longtime supporter of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

According to the museum , the first fossils were found by a team from the California Institute of Technology in 1939. More specimens were found in San Benito County in 1941.

The California State Capitol Museum says Augustynolophus morrisi existed about the same time as the Tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops, during the Maastrichtian Age between 72 to 66 million years ago.

The herbivorous dinosaur was about 26 feet long and weighed about three tons, according to the museum.

Visitors can learn more about Auggie at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, which currently houses the only two known fossil specimens of the dinosaur in the world.

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