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Help Name The Natural History Museum’s New Green Dinosaur

A digital rendering of the inside of a museum wing, with about a dozen people scattered about the long hallway looking at different exhibits. A large mural is affixed to the wall on the left, and a large green dinosaur skeleton is displayed against the wall on the right.
An idea of what the NHM Commons might look like, including the sauropod skeleton, once it opens in Exposition Park this fall.
(
Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County website
)

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Topline:

The Natural History Museum needs your help naming their newest 75-foot-long resident — a sauropod skeleton with green bones.

Why it matters: It's the only one of its kind in the world, according to the museum, and will be housed in the NHM Commons, a new wing and community hub opening in Exposition Park this fall.

Name options: You can choose from five names:

  • Verdi, which is a derivative of the Latin word for green with many variations
  • Olive, the small fruits are also green and the olive tree symbolizes peace, joy, and strength in many cultures
  • Esme, short for Esmerelda, which is Spanish for Emerald and means esteemed and loved in French and Persian cultures
  • Gnatalie, a nod to the pesky bugs that nipped at scientists and students when the bones were uncovered
  • Sage, a green and iconic L.A. plant that’s also grown in the Natural History Museum’s Nature Gardens

The backstory: The sauropod, which was discovered in Utah in 2007, gets its unique green coloring from the mineral celadonite, according to the museum.

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What's next: The poll closes at 12 a.m. next Thursday, June 20, and the museum will announce the winning name at the end of the month.

Go deeper: Learn more about L.A.’s Natural History Museum.

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