A newly identified dinosaur species has been revealed after its fossil remained in a jar at a museum for two decades. The *Bolg amondol*, named after a goblin from J.R.R. Tolkien’s *The Hobbit*, was initially found in 2005, as reported by *New Scientist*. Yet, the fossil lingered in a jar at the back of the Natural History Museum of Utah until Hank Woolley discovered it and finally removed the lid.
Woolley, the principal author of a fresh study published in *Royal Society Open Science*, remarked, “I opened this jar of bones labeled ‘lizard’ at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and was taken aback to find a fragmentary skeleton inside.”
He proceeded to classify the newly identified dinosaur as a raccoon-sized lizard. The study, released this month, details the discovery and our current understanding of *B. amondol*. This species is thought to be an ancient precursor to present-day Gila monsters and is estimated to have lived around 76 million years ago.
Uncovering new species is always thrilling, as it reveals fresh insights into our planet’s richly woven history. Although we are not entirely sure how life on Earth began or if these beings would have survived had Earth not been hit by the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, this discovery helps reveal a bit more of that narrative.
Woolley notes that they chose the name from *The Hobbit* because he perceives these lizards as “goblin-like,” particularly when observing their skulls. This serves as another illustration of how substantial discoveries can sometimes remain undiscovered for years, as storage can become overwhelmed with skeletons in jars and various collection items.
Nevertheless, it is thrilling to add a new dinosaur species to the record, particularly one unearthed in a region like southern Utah. When *B. amondol* roamed the Earth, Utah was likely a subtropical zone. This contrasts sharply with the often arid landscapes we are familiar with today.
