
Colorful Bones: New Species Of Dinosaur Found In Utah
Are there really new dinosaurs waiting to be discovered? With a brand-new species just finished being dug up this last year in the badlands of Utah, It is apparent we haven't discovered them all.
Not Your Usual Color of Dinosaur Bones
Gnatalie, the “g” is silent, so it is said like Natalie, was found in an ancient river bottom in eastern Utah in 2007. It was transferred to the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles last year and is now on display.
This is a new species of dinosaur and the only one discovered so far. This is from the Natural History Museum:
The fossils that make up Gnatalie were buried in a late-Jurassic Period riverbed 150 million years ago, along with several other dinosaurs.
Other than being the first of its kind recovered, it also has the distinction of having green bones. You wouldn’t be surprised if its skin was green, but the skeleton beneath having that color seems odd. It has to do with the color of mineral that fossilized the bones.
Why The Funny Name?
It was named after all the gnats that swarmed the paleontologists working to remove the skeleton. It seems funny to name this new find after the insect that bothered you while working, but that’s how it goes.
Read More: An Ice Age In Las Vegas: It’s A Must See For Utah Visitors
Gnatalie is 75 feet long with an extended neck. Now on display for all to see in California. Gnatalie shows us how much more there is to discover locked away in the earth. It is also cool to see another ancient resident of Utah becoming a fossil star in a museum.
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Gallery Credit: Katherine Gallagher
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