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Official State of Alabama Fossil

Meat-eating whale Basilosaurus cetoides Adopted: 1984

Official State of Alabama Fossil: Species Basilosaurus cetoides
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By Act No. 84-66, species Basilosaurus cetoides was declared the official State of Alabama Fossil in 1984.

In addition to naming the official fossil, the legislation also prohibits removal of any Basilosaurus cetoides fossil, in whole or in part, from the State of Alabama without prior written permission from the Governor of the State of Alabama.

A portion of the legislation is shown below:

WHEREAS, The Alabama Legislature notes that the ancient whale, Species Basilosaurus Cetoides, named after the forty million year old whale fossil was discovered in Washington County, Alabama; and

WHEREAS, This ancient whale fossil is most abundant in the State of Alabama, and two of the most comprehensive skeletons of the Species Basilosaurus Cetoides were discovered in Alabama, one discovered by Mr. Ronald "Bones" Rhoades and now located in the Red Mountain Museum, Birmingham, Alabama, and the second, a fifty-five foot skeletal exhibit, is on display in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, The Alabama Legislature feels it is most appropriate that the interest in and study of this ancient aquatic mammal predator, with serrated posterior molars, be encouraged, and perpetuated for scientific and historical reasons; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE BOTH THEREOF CONCURRING that the Alabama Legislature does hereby designate as the official State of Alabama Fossil, the "Species Basilosaurus Cetoides."

RESOLVED FURTHER, That no fossil "Species Basilosaurus Cetoides" shall be removed from the State of Alabama in whole, or part, except by prior written permission of the Governor.

Alabama Law

Official State of Alabama Fossil: Species Basilosaurus cetoides
Image: University of Alabama Museums

The following information was excerpted from the Unannotated Code of Alabama 1975, Title 1, Chapter 2, Section 1-2-20.

Title 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 2 STATE SYMBOLS AND HONORS.
Section 1-2-20

Section 1-2-20

State fossil.

The Alabama Legislature does hereby designate as the official State of Alabama fossil the "Species Basilosaurus Cetoides."

No fossil "Species Basilosaurus Cetoides" shall be removed from the State of Alabama, in whole or in part, except by prior written approval of the Governor.

(Acts 1984, No. 84-66, p. 89.)

Sources...

"Official State Fossil." Alabama Department of Archives and History. State of Alabama, 14 Jan 2010. Web. 1 May 2013.
"Unannotated Code of Alabama 1975." The Alabama Legislature. The State of Alabama. Web. 28 Apr 2013. .
Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

Official State Fossil: Alabama State Department of Archives and History: Official Symbols and Emblems of Alabama.

Basilosaurus cetoides: Alabama Humanities Foundation: Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Basilosaurus cetoides - Alabama's State Fossil: Alabama Museum of Natural History

Extinct Monsters: Basilosaurus: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Explore Our Collections: Basilosaurus: ExtinctMonsters.Net.

State fossils: Complete list of official state fossils from NETSTATE.COM

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Alabama state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

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