DE HB390

Designates the Dryptosauridae as the official state dinosaur of Delaware by adding § 330 to Chapter 3, Title 29 of the Delaware Code.

Dryptosaurid bones were discovered in the Merchantville Formation along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in the Summit Bridge area, representing Delaware's only identified dinosaur species.

The Dryptosauridae is a bird-like predator related to Tyrannosaurus rex that relied on speed for hunting and likely had feathers, complementing Delaware's state bird, the blue hen chicken.

Students at Shue-Medill Middle School in the Christina School District researched and selected the Dryptosauridae through a school-wide vote, with the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science providing assistance and planning to display a Dryptosaurus aquilunguis skeleton reconstruction in its new PaleoZone.

The designation symbolizes Delaware's ecosystems and the need to protect populations, birds, and sea life, while connecting to Dover Air Force Base through the dinosaur's speed and agility.