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[title]Victoria has an official animal, Leadbeater's possum, and an official bird, the helmeted honeyeater. We even have a state marine animal, the common seadragon, an absolutely gorgeous creature otherwise known as the weedy seadragon.
But why should currently living things get all the glory? What fossilised animal or plant really represents the state of Victoria?
Museums Victoria wants to know, and the boffins there have shortlisted the field to eight contenders. You can have your say via Museums Victoria's online voting system. All of the fossils are animals or plants that would have lived somewhere in Victoria. Pick your fighter!
Isograptus victoriae: A small 470-million-year-old marine invertebrate found in Dja Dja Wurrung Country near Castlemaine. Cool selling point: it looks like a V for Victoria and used to be used by miners to find underground seams of gold.
Baragwanathia: A 400-million-year-old plant found around in Taungurung Country in central Victoria and western Gippsland. Cool selling point: This is one of the first plants in prehistory to adapt to living outside the water.
Bishops whitmorei: This tiny, shrew-like mammal was found in Boonwurrung Country, near Inverloch. Fossils of Bishops whitmorei were found in ancient riverbeds. Cool selling point: They lived alongside polar dinosaurs 130 million years ago.
Koolasuchus cleelandi: Found in Boonwurrung Country near San Remo, this was a car-sized amphibian that was a mixture between a newt and a crocodile. Cool selling point: The car-sized amphibian had a head the size of a dustbin lid, with dozens of ridged fangs.
Janjucetus hunderi: This small and fierce whale lived 25 million years ago in Wathaurong / Wadawurrung Country, off the Victorian coast. Cool selling point: The species is the evolutionary link between ancient whales and modern blue whales.
Pelagornis: This ocean-going bird had a wingspan twice the size of a current albatross. Its fossilised remains were found in Beaumaris, in Boonwurrung Country. Cool selling point: It had teeth. A bird. With teeth.
Palorchestes azael: This huge marsupial lived on Gunaikurnai Country near the Buchan Caves from 10 million years to 40,000 years ago. The best-preserved fossils of this animal were found in limestone caves. Cool selling point: Although its teeth look like a giant kangaroo, it's most closely related to a wombat. A wombat, that is, that was heavier than a buffalo.
Leaellynasaura amicagraphica: This herbaceous polar dinosaur was found in Dinosaur Cave in Eastern Marr Country. Cool selling point: This dinosaur was named after the daughter of palaeontologists Tom Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich. It's one of the few dinosaurs ever to be named after a woman.
All of these fossils will be on display at Melbourne Museum once it reopens. Public voting is now open for Victoria's official fossil and will close at 5pm on Monday, October 4. Once voting is concluded, the winner will be submitted to the government and the new fossil emblem will be announced.