"Gnatalie" Makes National Geographic
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| Reconstruction of "Gnatalie." Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County |
"Gnatalie," the Natural History Museum's new dinosaur, has a photo feature in the September National Geographic. The mounted green-hued skeleton will dominate Frederick Fisher's NHM Commons glass entrance when it opens this fall.
Gnatalie (named for the biting gnats at its Utah desert findspot) is a 75-ft long vegan dinosaur of the Jurassic period, allied to the genus Diplodocus. It may represent a new species. The NHMLA specimen was assmbled from a jumble of bones and combines fossils from at least two individuals. About 80 percent of the mounted skeleton is authentic (a high percentage as these things go). Missing or damaged bones have been replaced by 3D printed reproductions.
At 75 feet nose to tail, Gnatalie outstrips the 68-ft. Mamenchisaurus dominating the existing dinosaur hall. It's almost three times the length of "Apex," the Stegosaurus auctioned last month for $45 million. With billionaires paying Basquiat prices for dinosaur skeletons, museums rely on their own excavations. Gnatalie was excavated over nine grueling summers by an NHMLA team that included many volunteers.
The NHM Commons opens Nov. 17, 2024.
Comments
> Nov. 17, 2024.
Even though a smaller project than the Lucas or the Zumthor/Govan, it sure seems to have managed a much quicker schedule. In comparison:
https://youtu.be/a7J_7qnSPZ0?si=8WZUYtYP0HFf8jcj
The Empire State Building took only a little more than a year to build (damn!), while the Golden Gate Bridge (understandably) required over 4 years of work. By contrast, the Lucas broke ground in early 2018 and isn't supposed to open until 2025. Uh, er, 7 years?!
Meanwhile, another project in LA, its airport's people mover won't be opened until early 2026. That broke ground in early 2019. So also 7 years from start to finish.
Yep, okay, Rome wasn't built in a day, but did they still somehow have less red tape and less corruption, but more workers and faster crews?