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A 76-million-year-old fossil, initially mislabeled and overlooked, has revealed a new species of prehistoric lizard, Bolg amondol. Discovered in Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the fossil, about the size of a raccoon, is an ancestor of modern Gila monsters. The find, detailed in Royal Society Open Science, provides insights into Utah's Late Cretaceous ecosystem, suggesting a diverse and stable environment supporting various lizard species. Researchers believe Bolg's discovery hints at more undiscovered species from the same period.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.