Wyoming, the Cowboy State, is the smallest one in terms of population (580,817 people), the 10^th largest in terms of land area (the first three, in order, are Alaska, Texas, and California), and ranks fifth in terms of cattle per capita (2.18) but is dominated by South Dakota (4.32). The state fish is the Cutthroat Trout, the state bird is the Western Meadowlark, the state butterfly is Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak Butterfly, and the state flower is the Indian Paintbrush.

A colorful spring sunset at Teton Range, seen from an abandoned old ranch in Mormon Row historic district, in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA. © GETTY

A more obscure fact is that Wyoming’s state dinosaur is the Triceratops, my third favorite dinosaur after Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex, in that order. With a life span of 25-30 years, at 12,000-16,000 pounds, 30 feet long, and nine feet high the mighty and ferocious but vegetarian Triceratops was the toughest of all dinosaurs and could beat T-Rex in a fight.

The species prospered during the last three million years of the late Cretaceous Period from 68-65 million years ago. (To put this in historical perspective the Cretaceous Period lasted for 80 million years of the 186 million year Mesozoic Era.) Obviously, there was one last lonely Triceratops on the planet after all the others were gone. Kind of an amazing thought, right? In fact, that last one was the last dinosaur period since this species was the last one standing.

What is the relevance of all this, you are no doubt rightly asking? Fair question. The three horns symbolize the three prongs of the ESG Culture Wars in Big Wyoming. These wars have been extremely ferocious there, so rightly justifying its chosen state dinosaur. But Triceratops three million years on the planet help put the ESG Culture Wars into perspective. They will not last that long. My guess is that these wars won’t even last for the modest lifetime of this glorious plant-eating beast. Before long we will look back on another extinction with the same awe, wonder, and nostalgia as we do Triceratops. But first we can observe in real-time sadness the death of the last Triceratops in Wyoming.

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