What Is the California State Fossil?

What Is The California State Fossil?

In January 1974 the species Smilodon californicus was officially designated California’s state fossil.

Smilodon

Smilodon lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 mya – 10,000 years ago). The genus was named in 1842 based on fossils from Brazil; the generic name means “scalpel” or “two-edged knife” combined with “tooth”.

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californicus was officially designated California’s state fossil.

What does the California State fossil symbolize?

Official State Fossil of California

The saber-toothed cat (Smilodon californicus) was common in California 40 million years ago. … The saber-toothed cat is a member of the extinct carnivore family Nimravidae, related to both true cats and mongooses.

David Miller

David Miller

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