By:  Moncrief                                         S.C.R. No. 57

         97S0912/1                           

                            SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, Texas has become world famous for its many dinosaur

 1-2     discoveries and for many of its unique dinosaur specimens such as

 1-3     the Pleurocoelus; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, When the sea submerged the Antlers and the Paluxy

 1-5     formations, it put an end to dinosaurs in this region of the earth

 1-6     known as Texas for nearly five million years, approximately 105 to

 1-7     100 million years ago; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, There was an interruption in North America's

 1-9     geographic history caused by the expansion of the sea 100 million

1-10     years ago, creating the Western Interior Sea Way which joined the

1-11     Gulf of Mexico with the Arctic Ocean, thereby  essentially

1-12     splitting North America into two halves and remaining that way

1-13     until very near the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, about 66 million

1-14     years ago; and

1-15           WHEREAS, Several formations were laid down in Central Texas

1-16     during that interval of marine time, fossilizing the remains of the

1-17     65 to 70 foot creature known as Pleurocoelus; and

1-18           WHEREAS, Today the footprints of Pleurocoelus created so long

1-19     ago are visible once more, as featured in the Fort Worth Museum of

1-20     Science and History's exhibition, Lone Star Dinosaurs; and

1-21           WHEREAS, Sauropods, specifically the species Pleurocoelus,

1-22     inhabited the earth approximately 200 to 65 million years ago, then

1-23     died out, leaving the footprints and bones in rock as young as 105

 2-1     million years old, preserving this creature's prevalence in and

 2-2     across the State of Texas, causing the trackway left in Glen Rose,

 2-3     and making this site world famous; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, All Pleurocoelus disappeared from North America for

 2-5     35 to 40 million years, then reappeared, returning to what is

 2-6     referred to as the second dinosaur world in the heart of Texas; and

 2-7           WHEREAS, Brachiosaur tracks are clearly the footprints of the

 2-8     species Pleurocoelus; they are responsible for not only the tracks

 2-9     in the Glen Rose region but those scattered across Texas; and

2-10           WHEREAS, Because the Pleurocoelus tracks and bone are found

2-11     mainly in Texas and a small portion of Southeastern New Mexico,

2-12     this species and its remains are the last major grouping of the

2-13     Pleurocoelus, are indigenous to Texas, and are world famous; and

2-14           WHEREAS, The important locality referred to as the Jones site

2-15     excavation of the Pleurocoelus is the biggest dinosaur project

2-16     undertaken in the State of Texas led by the Fort Worth Museum of

2-17     Science and History; and

2-18           WHEREAS, These discoveries combined with the leadership of

2-19     the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in the field of

2-20     dinosaur research make the Pleurocoelus an ideal candidate to be

2-21     the Lone Star State Dinosaur; now, therefore, be it

2-22           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-23     hereby name the Brachiosaur Sauropod, Pleurocoelus, the official

2-24     Lone Star State Dinosaur.