Location: Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Date: Currently On View
Gnatalie the Green Dino, Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Meet L.A.’s Gnewest Star, Gnatalie the Green Dino, Visit the Museum and See Gnatalie with your own eyes in the NHM Commons, now open
NHM Commons—the Museum’s newly established wing and community hub—invites visitors to explore, among other attractions, the latest and largest fossil Angeleno: Gnatalie. Gnatalie (pronounced “nat-ah-lee”), affectionately named after the bothersome gnats that troubled its excavators during the digs, is the most complete sauropod skeletal mount on the West Coast—and the only green-hued fossil specimen on Earth. The distinctive bone coloration of Gnatalie is attributed to the infilling of the green mineral celadonite throughout the fossilization process.
Measuring over 75 feet, Gnatalie, the long-necked dinosaur, will ignite the imaginations of visitors from Los Angeles and beyond. For the first time, it will present our renowned fossils to the public, accessible with or without a ticket. The largest specimen showcased at the Museum will also be available for free viewing by all.
Gnatalie’s journey to NHM is nearly as extensive as its neck. The quarry was unearthed in 2007 in Southeast Utah by researchers from NHMLAC’s Dinosaur Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Luis Chiappe, NHMLAC Senior Vice President for Research and Collections, along with Gretchen Augustyn, Director of the Dinosaur Institute.
“Dinosaurs serve as an excellent medium for educating our guests about the essence of science,” stated Dr. Luis M. Chiappe. “What could be more captivating than a green dinosaur, exceeding 75 feet in length, to involve them in the journey of scientific exploration and encourage contemplation of the marvels of our world!”
Gnatalie is a composite mount created from various specimens, all of which belong to a species of long-necked dinosaur resembling Diplodocus (sauropods). In June 2024, the residents of Los Angeles voted to officially name Gnatalie.
Wonder Is in Our Bones
The fossils that constitute Gnatalie were interred in a riverbed from the late-Jurassic Period approximately 150 million years ago, alongside various other dinosaurs. The preservation of any bones for over a hundred million years is exceptionally uncommon, yet Gnatalie stands out as more remarkable than most.
Volcanic activity occurring between 80 and 50 million years ago generated sufficient heat for a new mineral to supplant a previous one with celadonite. This infilling of bones by the green mineral during the secondary fossilization process imparted an unusual green hue to Gnatalie’s skeleton. It will be the first green dinosaur skeleton to be mounted for public exhibition globally.
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