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Article: The name game: scientists have a sense of humor--especially when it comes to naming new species.(LIFE CLASSIFICATION)
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- February 2, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What do comedian Stephen Colbert, rocker Neil Young, and actress Angelina Jolie have in common? They all recently had a species of spider named after them. And they're not the only famous people to be honored in this way by scientists.
Thomas Jefferson has a giant sloth and a mammoth--both of which are extinct--named after him. The creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, was the inspiration behind the naming of a sand crab, Albunea groeningi. An entire category of palm plants is named after the 16th-century astronomer Copernicus, and both an ant and a spider owe their names to Harrison Ford of Indiana Jones fame.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Taxonomists, ...