A newly discovered dinosaur species, the only green fossil ever found, will be displayed in Los Angeles.

• The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is showcasing a newfound sauropod species, whose green-colored fossilized skeleton is the only one on Earth, according to museum officials.
• Celadonite was responsible for the distinctive coloring of dinosaur fossils during the fossilization process.
• In the late Jurassic Era, a dinosaur existed that was older than Tyrannosaurus rex, which lived 150 million years ago.

The green-bodied dinosaur recently mounted at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is a unique species, as it is the only one on the planet with green bones, according to museum officials.

During the excavation, the long-necked, long-tailed herbivorous dinosaur's fossils got its unique coloration, a dark mottled olive green, from the mineral celadonite.

Green fossils are uncommon because celadonite, which forms in volcanic or hydrothermal conditions, typically destroys buried bones. The celadonite entered the fossils when volcanic activity around 50 million to 80 million years ago made it hot enough to replace a previous mineral.

The dinosaur existed during the late Jurassic Era, which was 150 million years ago, making it older than Tyrannosaurus rex, who lived between 66 and 68 million years ago.

Researchers discovered the bones in 2007 in the Badlands of Utah.

Luis M. Chiappe of the museum's Dinosaur Institute stated that his team's discovery of a green, almost 80-foot-long dinosaur is an excellent tool for teaching visitors about the nature of science and inspiring them to reflect on the wonders of the world we live in.

In graduate school, I heard rumors of a green dinosaur, said Matt Wedel, an anatomist and paleontologist at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona near Los Angeles.

As he viewed the cleaned bones, he remarked that they were "unlike anything I've ever encountered."

The sauropod species Diplodocus is similar to the dinosaur, and the discovery will be published in a scientific paper next year. The Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus, both members of the sauropod family, will be the biggest dinosaur at the museum and can be seen this fall in its new welcome center.

John Whitlock, a professor at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pennsylvania, who specializes in studying sauropods, expressed excitement about having a complete skeleton to help fill in the gaps for specimens that are less complete.

Whitlock stated, "It's incredibly large and enhances our comprehension of both taxonomic and anatomical diversity."

Last month, the museum named the dinosaur "Gnatalie" after a public vote on five options, including Verdi, Olive, Esme, and Sage.