Utah
First-of-its-kind green dinosaur skeleton recovered in Utah could be new species, says National Geographic
A new dinosaur species has potentially been recovered after the reconstruction of its remains.
The first-of-its-kind green dinosaur fossil was discovered in southeastern Utah, and was reassembled by a team from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC).
The 150-million-year-old dinosaur was first spotted in 2007, according to a report from National Geographic, among a “logjam” of various dinosaur bones belonging to diplodocus, stegosaurus, allosaurus, camarasaurus and other species.
DINOSAUR QUIZ! HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE PREHISTORIC CREATURES?
The bones that were collected for reconstruction do not belong to one single dinosaur, NatGeo reported.
Instead, they’re a combination of parts from two or more prehistoric reptiles of the same species found at the site.
Paleontologists Luis Chiappe, at right, and Pedro Mocho study a model of a diplodocus at Research Casting International, where real dinosaurs are reconstructed. (Craig Cutler/National Geographic)
The identity of this species has yet to be determined, as it may be new to science — but experts believe it belongs to the genus diplodocus due to its characteristic long neck and “four sturdy legs.”
NEW DINOSAUR SPECIES SIMILAR TO T. REX FOUND IN ASIA
In the meantime, the dinosaur has been named “Gnatalie” by excavation team members, as there was an influx of gnats during that first summer at the dig site, NatGeo said.
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From the site where the fossils were prepped, the bones were sent to Research Casting International (RCI) in Canada — one of the world’s largest providers of museum technical services — for casting and mounting.
Gnatalie then made its way to its new display in Los Angeles.
At the museum’s lab in Los Angeles, preparators cut open the jackets and spent years removing the concrete-hard matrix. Here, preparator Erika Durazo reveals the details in a section of the dinosaur’s spine. (Craig Cutler/National Geographic)
The sauropod, a large herbivorous dinosaur known for its long neck and tail, is the most complete skeleton of its kind on the West Coast, according to NatGeo.
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The dinosaur stands 75 feet long — almost twice the length of the average city bus — and weighs about five tons.
It’s also the first green dino skeleton to be displayed worldwide.
The crowning moment comes as RCI technician Kevin Krudwig positions the skull on the nearly completed skeleton, which measures 75 feet long and weighs about five tons. In life, the dinosaur may have weighed two times as much. (Craig Cutler/National Geographic)
Its unusual green color occurred after volcanic activity from 80 to 50 million years ago made it hot enough for a new green mineral to change the color of the bones, NatGeo reported.
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In November, the multi-million-dollar reconstruction will be the star attraction of a new wing of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Utah
‘2.5 minutes of terror’: Passengers sue Delta, alleging crew flew into dangerous weather despite warnings, injuring dozens
Twenty passengers allege the airline ignored repeated weather warnings before the flight hit severe turbulence that sent dozens of people to hospitals
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Delta airplane travels down the runway at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City last March. Passengers on a Delta flight last July are suing the airline over injuries suffered because of violent turbulence.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
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