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