Maryland Eyes a Very Massive State Symbol

Maryland's state bird is the Baltimore oriole. Its state flower is the black-eyed Susan. If state lawmakers have their way, its latest symbol will be far, far less petite. WMAR reports the extinct megalodon shark is a governor's signature away from becoming Maryland's official state shark. After a slow swim through the legislature, the designation cleared a final hurdle on the last day of the session in Annapolis on Monday, when lawmakers tacked it on as an amendment to an already passed bill.

Both chambers agreed to the amended bill; if signed, Maryland will be the first state in the country to officially designate a state shark. Popular Science reports it would be effective Oct. 1. Delegate Todd B. Morgan, who penned one of the bills that backed the designation, expressed thanks on Facebook, adding: "To the hundreds of kids, literally, who have written letters and drawn pictures, this has been one of the enjoyable bills that legislators actually had some fun with."

The push came from Calvert Marine Museum's Dr. Stephen Godfrey and John Nance, whose institution holds numerous megalodon teeth found along the nearby Calvert Cliffs. Indeed, Popular Science notes southern Maryland's beaches have turned up many megalodon teeth; the prehistoric shark, which has been extinct for about 3.6 million years, was thought to grow up to 82 feet in length.