Montana
Became a state: November 8, 1889 (41st state)
Area: 147,165 sq mi (ranked 4th in size)
Population: 902,195 (ranked 44th in population)
Capital: Helena
Largest City: Billings (population 100,000)
Bordering States: Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
Origin of state name: The name Montana is from the Spanish word mountainous.
State Nickname: Big Sky Country, Treasure State
State Bird: Western Meadowlark
State Flower: Bitterroot
State Tree: Ponderosa Pine
State Gemstone: Sapphire and Montana Agate
Trivia: John "Jack" R. Horner (born June 15, 1946 in Shelby, Montana) is an American paleontologist who discovered and named Maiasaura, providing the first clear evidence that some dinosaurs cared for their young. He is one of the best-known paleontologists in the United States. In addition to his many paleontological discoveries, Horner served as the technical advisor for all of the Jurassic Park films, and even served as partial inspiration for one of the lead characters, Dr. Alan Grant.
In Montana during the mid-1970s, Horner and his research partner Bob Makela discovered a colonial nesting site of a new dinosaur genus which they named Maiasaura, or "Good Mother Lizard". It contained the first dinosaur eggs in the Western hemisphere, the first dinosaur embryos, and settled questions of whether some dinosaurs were sociable, built nests and cared for their young. The discovery established his career. Horner has named several other species of dinosaur (including Orodromeus makelai in memory of his late friend Bob Makela) and has had two named after him: Achelousaurus horneri and Anasazisaurus horneri.
Abbreviation: MT
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