81R23643 JH-D
 
  By: Geren H.R. No. 1533
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Texas is widely known for the wealth of dinosaur
  fossils that have been found in the state; the remains of more than
  20 different species have been unearthed here, and a number of them
  represent important discoveries that have greatly aided scientists
  in their study of the prehistoric era; and
         WHEREAS, The dinosaur Technosaurus is an especially notable
  example of the Lone Star State's ancient inhabitants; fossils of
  this creature have been found in the Panhandle area, near the town
  of Post, and no evidence of its existence has been found anywhere
  else; and
         WHEREAS, Also known as Technosaurus smalli, Technosaurus was
  identified by Dr. Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University in
  1984, and the dinosaur's name honors Dr. Chatterjee's academic
  home; a well-known paleontologist, Dr. Chatterjee has made a number
  of pioneering discoveries in his career, and in finding
  Technosaurus, he revealed one of the earliest bird-hipped dinosaurs
  that has been found in North America; and
         WHEREAS, Standing about four feet high and weighing around 25
  pounds, this small plant-eating dinosaur lived during the Late
  Triassic Epoch, between 200 and 228 million years ago; it has
  similarities to other small herbivorous dinosaurs found in South
  America, and some scientists have linked it to Silesaurus, a
  creature unearthed in Poland; and
         WHEREAS, Recently, Technosaurus has received renewed
  attention thanks to the efforts of Shashwath Murthy, a fifth-grade
  student at Valley Ranch Elementary School in Irving; born in
  Boulder, Colorado, Mr. Murthy first became interested in dinosaurs
  at the age of three, when he saw the film Jurassic Park; after
  moving to Texas, he learned about Technosaurus while completing a
  school project in the first grade, and in the years since, he has
  conducted extensive research on the species; on March 24, 2009, he
  delivered informative testimony at a meeting of the House Committee
  on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, during which he drew attention
  to the unique aspects of this Lone Star dinosaur; and
         WHEREAS, The discovery of Technosaurus has helped to
  emphasize the important role Texas plays in the field of
  paleontology and has left us with a greater appreciation of the
  early inhabitants that once roamed the landscape of the Lone Star
  State; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize April 23, 2009, as Technosaurus Day
  and commend Shashwath Murthy for his admirable work in raising
  public awareness of this prehistoric Texan; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Mr. Murthy as an expression of high regard by the Texas
  House of Representatives.