LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County announced Thursday that it is asking for the public’s help in naming a green dinosaur fossil that will be the centerpiece of the museum’s new wing.
Museum officials said in a statement that the fossil, known as the “Green Dinosaur,” will be renamed through an online poll that allows voters to choose from five names selected by staff.
The green bones were unearthed from a 150-million-year-old riverbed from the Late Jurassic Period and were recently packed into wooden crates and trucked to Ontario, Canada, according to the museum. The fossils were affectionately nicknamed “Gnatharyi,” after the gnats that plagued scientists and volunteers during the excavation.
Museum officials say the unusual color of the long-necked dinosaur’s bones is due to the green mineral celadonite embedding the bones during fossilization.
When the new building, the NHM Commons, opens this fall, the giant skeleton will be the first green dinosaur skeleton on public display.
The five names on the ballot are:
Gnatalie: Kudos to the quarry where the dinosaur bones were found and the pesky gnats that lived there.
Sage: This green plant is a typical native to Los Angeles and is grown in the NHM’s natural gardens.
Verdi: Derived from the Latin word meaning green.
Esme: Short for Esmerelda, which means emerald in Spanish.
Olives: Olives are green and the olive tree symbolizes peace, joy and strength.
Online voting can be done here from now until June 20th.
City News Service
