5 Things to Know This Morning

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Brontosaurus Finally Validated as a Distinct Dinosaur

On the edge of the solar system, the dwarf planet Pluto, which knows what it feels like to be banished from an exclusive club, may be cheering for the brontosaurus.

While the long-necked dinosaur's name may be known by legions of fans and even made it on to a postage stamp in the 1980s, most paleontologists would be quick to correct people that the brontosaurus is not a dinosaur.

But the iconic dinosaur name may finally be reinstated more than a century after researchers found the long-necked brontosaurus and apatosaurus likely belonged to the same genus, according to a newly-published analysis.

2. Video Cited By Police in Murder Charges Shows Officer Shooting Driver

A South Carolina police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man Saturday was formally charged with murder.

Police cited witness video that appears to show the moment when the officer fatally shot a driver whom he had pulled over this weekend, and the victim's family attorney, who gave the video to ABC News, believes it could prove that the officer used excessive force.

3. California Drought Inspires Creative Ways People Are Conserving Water

With the state of California under mandatory water-use restrictions, state residents are turning to creative ways to conserve water. Water conservation officials say the following are some options people can turn to, or are already turning to, in order to save water in a state that needs every last drop.

4. Deadly Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: How You Can Protect Yourself

The deaths of eight family members in Maryland has brought attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Every year 400 Americans die from exposure to carbon monoxide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 4,000 hospitalized and 20,000 ending up in the emergency room as a result of exposure to the colorless, odorless gas. Winter can be an especially dangerous time since space heaters, generators and other portable heating devices can leak carbon monoxide.

The signs and symptoms of exposure can be subtle, leading people to try and sleep it off instead of heading straight for the emergency room. So here's the information you need to know to stay safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.

5. Bobcat Catches Shark Off Florida Beach

"Sharknado" may have met its match.

A photographer in South Florida snapped a shot Monday night of a bobcat walking along the beach at Sebastian Inlet State Park with a shark in its mouth, according to a report by ABC News affiliate WPLG-TV in Miami.

The photographer, John Bailey, told the television station he spotted the bobcat leaping into the Atlantic Ocean and dragging the shark onshore.

“Initially, it was pretty quick," Bailey told WPLG-TV. "Spotted it, pulled it up (and) the shark floundered for a while."