Brigham Young University paleontologist Brooks Britt (left) and Dinosaur National Monument paleontologist Daniel Chure hold up a sauropod humerus they excavated from a hillside on the Fossil Discovery Trail at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah in 2014. The fossil was vandalized, making it necessary to remove it for safekeeping. In a paper published Tuesday, April 11, 2017, BYU officials say they’ve identified the fossil as that of a new dinosaur, named Moabosaurus, since it was found near Moab, Utah. (Geoff Liesik / Deseret News via AP, file)

Brigham Young University paleontologist Brooks Britt (left) and Dinosaur National Monument paleontologist Daniel Chure hold up a sauropod humerus they excavated from a hillside on the Fossil Discovery Trail at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah in 2014. The fossil was vandalized, making it necessary to remove it for safekeeping. In a paper published Tuesday, April 11, 2017, BYU officials say they’ve identified the fossil as that of a new dinosaur, named Moabosaurus, since it was found near Moab, Utah. (Geoff Liesik / Deseret News via AP, file)

Professors name dinosaur after digging up thousands of bones

Associated Press

MOAB, Utah — University officials say they’ve named a dinosaur that they found hidden in Utah.

Brigham Young University professors have created a full picture of the sauropod from thousands of fossilized bones and published a paper Tuesday in the University of Michigan’s Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology.

The creature has been named Moabosaurus because it was found near Moab. Like other sauropods, researchers say it was an herbivore with a long neck and tail and a small brain but it was much smaller, at 32 feet.

The paper says the Moabosaurus is 125 million years old and its skeleton was found in a quarry. Geologist Brooks Britt and his team have been excavating the bones since the late 1970s.

The skeleton is on display at BYU’s Museum of Paleontology.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

The new Crucible Brewing owners Johanna Watson-Andresen and Erik Andresen inside the south Everett brewery on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
South Everett brewery, set to close, finds lifeline in new owners

The husband and wife who bought Crucible Brewing went on some of their first dates there.

The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it's one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo council passes budget with deficit, hopes for new revenue

Proponents said safeguards were in place to make future changes. Detractors called it “irresponsible.”

Andy Bronson/ The Herald 

Everett mayor Ray Stephenson looks over the city on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2015 in Everett, Wa. Stephanson sees  Utah’s “housing first” model – dealing with homelessness first before tackling related issues – is one Everett and Snohomish County should adopt.

Local:issuesStephanson

Shot on: 1/5/16
Economic Alliance taps former Everett mayor as CEO

Ray Stephanson will serve as the interim leader of the Snohomish County group.

Molbak's Garden + Home in Woodinville, Washington will close on Jan. 28. (Photo courtesy of Molbak's)
After tumultuous year, Molbak’s is being demolished in Woodinville

The beloved garden store closed in January. And a fundraising initiative to revitalize the space fell short.

Lane Scott Phipps depicted with an AK-47 tattoo going down the side of his face. (Snohomish County Superior Court)
Man gets 28 years in Lynnwood kidnapping case

Prosecutors also alleged Lane Phipps shot at police officers, but a jury found him not guilty of first-degree assault charges.

The sun sets beyond the the Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library as a person returns some books on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘A brutal hit’: Everett library cuts will lead to reduced hours, staffing

The cuts come as the city plans to reduce the library’s budget by 12% in 2025.

The Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library is open and ready for blast off. Dillon Works, of Mukilteo, designed this eye-catching sculpture that greets people along Evergreen Way.   (Dan Bates / The Herald)
Snohomish County awards money to improve warming, cooling centers

The money for HVAC improvements will allow facilities to better serve as temporary shelters for weather-related events.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin talks about the 2025 budget with the city council before voting on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council approves $644M budget with cuts to parks, libraries

The budget is balanced, but 31 employees are losing their jobs after cuts were made to close a deficit.

FILE — Boeing 737 MAX8 airplanes on the assembly line at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash., on March 27, 2019. Boeing said on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, that it was shaking up the leadership in its commercial airplanes unit after a harrowing incident last month during which a piece fell off a 737 Max 9 jet in flight. (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times)
Federal judge rejects Boeing’s guilty plea related to 737 Max crashes

The plea agreement included a fine of up to $487 million and three years of probation.

Lynnwood
Man killed in crash into Lynnwood apartment complex

The man in his late 30s or early 40s crashed into the building on 208th Street SW early Thursday morning, officials said.

A person walks up 20th Street Southeast to look at the damage that closed the road on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Public damage costs from bomb cyclone near $20M in Snohomish County

The damage price tag is the first step toward getting federal relief dollars.

Neetha Hsu practices a command with Marley, left, and Andie Holsten practices with Oshie, right, during a puppy training class at The Everett Zoom Room in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Tricks of the trade: New Everett dog training gym is a people-pleaser

Everett Zoom Room offers training for puppies, dogs and their owners: “We don’t train dogs, we train the people who love them.”

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.