Pteranodon vs. Xiphactius audax
Finally, a science debate in the Kansas state legislature that doesn't make me want to beat my head against the wall.
So, Kansas is apparently in the process of picking a state fossil.
The original candidate, named in the House bill introduced on the 24th of January, was Xiphactius audax—best known for being the big fish of the famous little-fish-inside-a-big-fish fossil that resides at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays.
Since the bill was introduced, however, there have been rumblings favoring a completely different fossil, the flying reptile Pteranodon.
Two fossils enter the statehouse. One leaves. But it's not entirely clear yet which will be the victor.
Pteranodon has a much bigger public profile—it was in Jurassic Park, after all, and has featured prominently in many children's books about dinosaurs. Plus, according to the adjunct curator of paleontology at the Sternberg Museum, high-quality pteranodon fossils are almost exclusive to Kansas.
But, Kansas was underwater for much of its pre-history and, thus, Xiphactius audax stands a chance.
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