‘Gnatalie’ Wins Public Poll for Natural History Museum’s New Green Dinosaur Name

The 75-foot-long green dinosaur skeleton that will serve as a focal point of NHM Commons — the museum’s new wing opening this fall — officially has a name. With more than 36% of about 8,100 votes, Gnatalie (pronounced nat-uh-lee) beat out Esme, Sage, Verdi, and Olive, making it the winning name of the Jurassic newcomer.

The name was inspired by the gnats that pestered the scientists and volunteers while excavating the fossils in Utah. Gnatalie’s unusual bone coloring is due to infilling by the green mineral celadonite during the fossilization process. The name was announced via video this morning.

After being excavated from a 150-million-year-old riverbed, the long-neck dinosaur’s green bones were painstakingly prepared, then packed in multiple crates and trucked to Ontario, Canada, for armature and mount fabrication. The colossal skeleton is technically a composite of several specimens belonging to a new Diplodocus-like species from the late-Jurassic period that will be scientifically named in the future. When NHM Commons opens this fall, Gnatalie the Green Dino will be the first green dinosaur skeleton to ever be mounted for public display.

This name poll was shared by many local and national organizations, publications, individuals, and others as a way to involve as many people as possible.

“We are delighted to see how many people voted and how much they loved our name for this unusual dinosaur,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director of the Gnatural History Museums of Los Angeles County. “Community is a core tenant of NHM Commons, and Gnatalie, which will be accessible for free, is going to be presented in a way that tells the ‘ground to mount’ story of the community of people who discovered, excavated, studied, and assembled the skeleton. This dinosaur skeleton is of L.A. and for L.A., and we want the people of Los Angeles to feel that this completely unique green giant is theirs — because it is!”