Texas is a state not really known for its fossils but it had many magnificent species from sauropods to mosasaurs. However our state fossil is petrified palm wood which is also the same as Louisiana. Now while many consider the petrified palm to be our state stone it is also grouped in as the state fossil. So you may be asking why should quetzocoatlus be the state fossil? Well quetzocoatlus was discovered in 1971 by Douglas A. Lawson in Big Bend National Park being named after the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl. The animals are one of if not the largest flying vertebrates on Earth growing up to 16-20ft tall and their head alone was 6-10ft. They fed upon small to midsize animals including mammals, carrion, amphibians, lizards, and young or small dinosaurs. This species is an Icon in the paleontology community and has had recent fame in films like Jurassic World Dominion (2022), Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), and Primitive War (2025). The animals in my opinion are a much better fit for Texas's state fossil showing the state's lesser known prehistoric biodiversity.