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.