This is your daily news rundown for Tuesday, Oct. 20. In this edition:
- Davis County health officials found a yellow fever mosquito for the first time
- Paleontologists could be uncovering a new species of dinosaur in southern Utah
An invasive mosquito species has moved into northern Utah
An invasive mosquito species that had already found a home in southern Utah has made its way to the northern half of the state.
Officials with the Davis County Health Department say they found a yellow fever mosquito at Bicentennial Park in Clearfield on Oct. 8 during routine testing.
The species is a known vector of several viruses — yellow fever, as the name suggests, but also Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. It’s also known for biting people during the daytime, not just during dusk or dawn.
Health officials have placed additional traps and conducted neighborhood checks since. They haven’t found any more of the mosquitoes, but say they’ll keep checking until colder weather sets in.
Tips to avoid mosquito bites include using an EPA-registered repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and eliminating standing water in yards.
Paleontologists could be digging up a new species of dinosaur near Moab
Paleontologists are excavating what could be a new species of dinosaur in southern Utah.
The new dinosaur bonebed is in a remote part of the desert near Arches National Park. It’s around the same area where the Utahraptor, model for Jurassic Park’s velociraptors, was discovered.
The Utah Geological Survey is extracting fossils to figure out what created the scene. Utah State Paleontologist Jim Kirkland thinks it may have been the site of a mass extinction event.
Kirkland told FOX13 News he plans to name the discovery after the state’s assistant paleontologist Don DeBlieux, who found the site and is close to retirement.
