What to Know
- Gnatalie, a 75-foot sauropod discovered in a Utah quarry in 2007, will debut Nov. 17 when the NHM Commons, the Natural History Museum's new wing, debuts
- The "most complete sauropod skeleton mount on the West Coast" isn't known solely for its size; Gnatalie also boasts a greenish hue due to celadonite deposits
- Paleontologists dealt with stinging gnats at the dig site, prompting the skeleton's memorable nickname; a vote put to museum mavens earlier in 2024 cemented the unique moniker
- A Gnatalie plush is available for pre-order via the museum site; the toy is $30 ($27 museum members)
There's just no possible way we can fit a sauropod skeleton into our home, especially not when it measures around 75 feet in length.
And we wouldn't want to, of course, for such a fascinating find is something many people should experience over many years.
But we do have room for an adorable toy, a plushie plaything that pays tribute to Gnatalie, Southern California's newest celebrity.
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The lengthy luminary will stand at the center of NHM Commons, the Natural History Museum's soon-to-open wing. The new addition, which has been years in the making, debuts Nov. 17, giving dino devotees and some of Gnatalie's earliest fans a close-up look at the astonishing specimen.
The $30 Gnatalie plush, which is available for pre-order through the website for the Natural History Museum store, has a greenish hue, but this feature is no mere whimsy: The skeleton possesses an emerald aura due to deposits created by the mineral celadonite.
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One side of the plush features a skeleton while the other side features Gnatalie as the remarkable dinosaur may have looked millions of years ago (well, in fanciful toy form, of course).
Discovered in Utah in 2007, the sauropod site had a hard-to-ignore element that didn't excite scientists nearly as much as the important paleontological find: Stinging gnats buzzed in the vicinity of the bones.
A one-of-a-kind nickname was soon born, a handle that was voted into permanency earlier this year when the museum put the vote to the public (other names in contention had green connotations).
You can't take the actual Gnatalie home, but you can enjoy the sauropod's lovable likeness.
Find out more about this paleontology-inspired plush, a green gewgaw made for prehistoric play.
