It took a while — millions of years, give or take — but Podokesaurus holyokensis is getting its due.
Weighing in at about 90 pounds and measuring maybe 6 feet long, the only remaining contender for the title of state dinosaur came a step closer to the podium Thursday.
The state Senate advanced a bill naming Podokesaurus holyokensis as the Bay State’s official dinosaur during a very short session.
The “swift-footed lizard of Holyoke” actually won the distinction in February of last year after a vote by residents on which of two lizards should represent the commonwealth.
The small carnivorous theropod was first discovered near Mt. Holyoke in 1910 by Mignon Talbot. Talbot is now famous for being the first woman to name and describe a dinosaur.
Talbot found only a single specimen dated to the early Jurassic Period, about 200 million years ago. That specimen was lost in 1917 when a fire destroyed the building housing it. No other specimen has ever been found.
The swift-footed lizard of Holyoke won’t actually become the state’s official dinosaur until signed into law by the governor.
The idea of naming a state dinosaur was started by state Rep. Jack Lewis as a way to help children learn about the legislative process during the pandemic.