Scientists discover what is believed to be new species of dinosaur
When paleontologists set out to find Jurassic fossils in the badlands of Utah back in 2007 they weren't sure what they would find. But buried in what was a riverbed 150 million years ago was something so rare it kept the team from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Dinosaur Institute coming back for more than a decade.
The careful pounding of rock unveiled fossils of a green-hued jurassic giant--scientists named Gnatalie--a diplodocus-like dinosaur that got its color from minerals found in the riverbed.
“It was really exciting ‘cause we didn't know what we had,” said Paleontological Imaging Specialist Stephanie Abramowicz. She created visual documents and records of every bone.
“I'm taking those bits and pieces and scaling them into an illustration that reconstructs her skeleton as it would've been in life and then using that skeleton,” said Abramowicz.
Her fleshed-out illustrations helped to reconstruct Gnatalie's nearly five-ton composite skeleton. National Geographic provides an inside look at excavation and reassembly in its September 2024 issue.
The more than 75-foot long-necked dinosaur Gnatalie is spelled with a G because of the stinging nats that pestered excavators. with a G because of the stinging nats that pestered excavators.
"From sunrise to sundown these little biting gnats would attack us. We'd get like a little red dot on our skin and it would lump up instantly the next day,” said Paleontological Preparator Erika Durazo.
Durazo also exhumed the fossils and worked in the museum’s lab to expose the fine details of the bones. Gnatalie is in the process of being mounted in the museum.
“It's truly an amazing experience because it's been so many years and a large part of my life essentially. So, to see it all together, it's impressive. I feel very much connected to it, so it feels like the end of an era,” said Durazo.
Scientists believe Gnatalie is also a new species of dinosaur. The display opens to the public at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County on November 17th. Nat Geo’s exclusive on the reconstructed dino can be found at NatGeo.com.
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