Legislature(2025 - 2026)GRUENBERG 120
05/17/2025 01:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB4 | |
| HB1 | |
| HB133 | |
| HB82 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 82 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 133 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 100 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 82-DESIGNATE STATE DINOSAUR
5:06:56 PM
CHAIR CARRICK announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 82, "An Act designating a state dinosaur; and
providing for an effective date."
5:07:35 PM
HENRY THOMPSON, Staff, Representative William Stapp, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Stapp, prime
sponsor, introduced HB 82. He said that the proposed
legislation would establish the Nanuqsaurus as Alaska's state
dinosaur. The Nanuqsaurus was discovered in the Prince Creek
formation of the North Slope by the scientific community in
2014. He said that Nanuqsaurus was a theropod, quite large and
in the same family as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Some believe that
this dinosaur had feathers as well. He remarked that Dr. Pat
Drunkenmiller, accomplished paleontologist and director of the
University of Alaska Museum of the North, was available for
testimony.
CHAIR CARRICK noted that the committee would hear invited
testimony.
5:09:24 PM
PAT DRUNKENMILLER, Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Gave invited testimony regarding HB 82. He appreciated
Representative Stapp's office for its interest and recognition
of the research and work conducted by the University of Alaska
Fairbanks regarding fossils and paleontology. He explained that
the Nanuqsaurus was Alaska's only Tyrannosaurus and belonged to
a larger group of dinosaurs known as Tyrannosaurids, the most
famous of which is the Tyrannosaurus Rex, which is not found in
Alaska. He said that the Nanuqsaurus was discovered in the
Prince Creek formation of the North Slope in 2014 and was among
around 13 or 14 different types of dinosaurs that have been
discovered from that formation. He said that the formation
dates back about 73,000,000 years, when Alaska was farther north
than it is today. He said that Nanuqsaurus is among the
northernmost dwelling dinosaurs that ever lived on earth and was
one of four named dinosaurs from Alaska; he suggested that more
would be named in the future.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER remarked that Nanuqsaurus was the "top dog"
and the apex predator in Alaska's prehistoric environment; its
diet consisted of duck-billed, horned dinosaurs and others. He
said initially Nanuqsaurus was described as a dwarf, but given
additional research it was estimated to have been around 25-30
feet in length. Furthermore, research indicates that it likely
had feathers, unlike depictions of other tyrannosaurids.
5:12:50 PM
CHAIR CARRICK opened public testimony on HB 82.
5:13:15 PM
MIKE COONS, representing self, testified in support of HB 82.
He said that after a "long grueling week," he hoped the bill
would bring some levity. He lauded Nanuqsaurus for its relation
to the feared Tyrannosaurus Rex.
5:14:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked Representative Stapp, prime sponsor,
whether there were any drawings or renditions of the Nanuqsaurus
available to the committee.
5:15:09 PM
BERNARD AOTO, Staff, Representative William Stapp, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Stapp, prime sponsor of
HB 82, responded that the bill sponsor had a toy Nanuqsaurus and
pictures in his legislative office. He welcomed committee
members to come see.
5:15:48 PM
CHAIR CARRICK, after ascertaining there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 82.
5:15:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT remarked that after a quick Google
search, she learned that Nanuqsaurus was similar in appearance
to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. She asked Dr. Drunkenmiller whether he
thought that Nanuqsaurus was the appropriate candidate as a
state dinosaur. She asked whether there was an older or more
geographically diverse candidate that might be worth
consideration. She said that Ichthyosaur was also found on the
North Slope, and there were even fossils found in Southeast
Alaska. Overall, she asked for Dr. Druckenmiller's opinion on
which dinosaur he felt represented the state the best. She
suggested that the school children of Alaska could choose what
dinosaur they felt best represented the state; other states
often leave these designations to the youth.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER responded that there are number of extinct
reptiles that were known to be from Alaska, many of which were
described in a publication fifteen years ago. He noted that
Ichthyosaurs were a marine reptile that resembled a giant
dolphin and were found in multiple parts of the state. He also
described Styxosaurus, to which he said he is partial; however,
despite having a saurus suffix, was not actually a dinosaur but
belonged to a different group of reptiles.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER also described Hadrosaurs, also known as duck-
billed dinosaurs. They were known to be large, plant-eating
animals. He said that the best-known species was one from the
North Slope. He said that it would be no match for the
Nanuqsaurus, but its name was noteworthy. He explained that the
name was derived from Inupiaq and meant "ancient grazer of the
Colville River" and there was much known about the species.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER complimented the idea of getting school kids
involved in designating a state dinosaur for Alaska. He said
that the idea of a state dinosaur was not new, and the proposed
bill was not the first attempt to establish one. He commented
on a previous attempt to establish the duck-billed dinosaur as
the state dinosaur.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER remarked that currently, four dinosaur species
were classified in Alaska and work was underway to continue
classifying additional species. He noted that some species were
better documented than others. He concluded by remarking that
any of the four could be viable candidates as a state dinosaur,
but ultimately it something that the legislature must decide.
5:20:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND asked Dr. Drunkenmiller about the
context, time, and environment in which Nanuqsaurus lived. He
asked for elaboration about what the North Slope looked like
relative to a modern context.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER answered that Nanuqsaurus lived during the
Cretaceous period, near the extinction event that marked the
close of the age of dinosaurs, by current estimates around 73
million years ago. He remarked that Alaska during this time did
not look as it does today. He said that Alaska was farther
north than it is today, around 10 degrees of latitude farther
north given current estimates. He explained that prehistoric
dinosaurs living in Alaska were truly polar dinosaurs, and no
others lived so far north during the age of dinosaurs.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER explained that Alaska's prehistoric dinosaurs
lived on a low, flat coastal plain before the Brooks Range had
fully formed. Unlike today's tundra, the coastal plain was
forested even as far north as it was. He said that petrified
trees are often found alongside dinosaur fossils.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER said that regarding the climate, Alaska's
North Slope was much warmer than it is today, despite being
farther north. He said that temperatures would be comparable to
what Juneau is today. He said that being so far north, these
dinosaurs would have to survive seasonal conditions that
included three-to-four months of complete winter darkness.
Nanuqsaurus would have roamed in darkness and even snowy
conditions, a context that is unlike most contemporary images of
dinosaurs as tropical creatures.
5:24:48 PM
CHAIR CARRICK commented that she thoroughly enjoyed the
opportunity to participate in classes with Dr. Drunkenmiller
during her time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
5:25:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND asked Dr. Drunkenmiller whether the
Nanuqsaurus was still cold-blooded despite living in such a
harsh environment.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER responded that there has been a long-standing
debate about whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded like mammals
and birds or cold-blooded like modern reptiles; all dinosaurs
were reptiles. He said that given contemporary knowledge, the
understanding is that dinosaurs were much closer to being warm-
blooded. He said that having inhabited cold regions such as
Alaska only supports this hypothesis. He said that modern cold-
blooded reptiles such as crocodiles, turtles, or lizards do not
live in Alaska due to the challenges with cold weather.
DR. DRUNKENMILLER said that the scientific community was
confident that Alaska's dinosaurs were warm-blooded, and body
heat was maintained by food consumption, much like mammals do.
Additionally, there was certainty that meat-eating northern
dinosaurs such as Nanuqsaurus were feathered; an adaptation to
maintain body heat.
5:27:25 PM
MR. AOTO extended an apology to the committee on behalf of
Representative Stapp, prime sponsor, due to the inability to
attend the hearing on the proposed legislation, as he was
currently occupied with the House Finance Committee. He said
the purpose of the bill was from Representative Stapp's
experience touring the Fairbanks North Star Borough School
District. During this trip, he spoke with elementary students
about the legislature, its role, importance, and the things
legislators do. To engage students in debate, he asked students
what kind of things they liked to argue about. This
conversation sparked a lively debate about dinosaurs, which, in
turn, inspired the development of the proposed bill.
5:28:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY appreciated the context for why
Representative Stapp was interested in the proposed legislation.
She said that she supported the children's opportunity to look
at the choices and decide. She opined that it would be a
wonderful opportunity for Alaska's schoolchildren. She asked
the prime sponsor whether he would be open to a Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED) survey to both educate
schoolchildren and give them the opportunity to decide which
dinosaur would be most appropriate as the state dinosaur.
MR. AOTO responded that this was something that Representative
Stapp's office was open to.
5:29:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT echoed Representative Story's position
and said that this could be a wonderful opportunity for Alaska
students to learn about dinosaurs and argue which dinosaur would
be most appropriate for state designation.
5:30:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY added that students could vote on the
dinosaur, which would be a good exercise for civic engagement.
5:30:38 PM
CHAIR CARRICK announced that HB 82 was held over.