Scientists at the University of California-Riverside have discovered the fossils of a creature that lived in the Earth’s oceans 500 million years ago, and have named it after former US President Barack Obama.
The creature was given the scientific name Obamus Coronatus, in honour of Obama’s passion for science – ‘coronatus’ means ‘crowned’.
And, it was discovered in our own backyard. Obamus was found in a well-preserved fossil bed in the mountain ranges of South Australia.
So, yes, it’s obviously Australian. We’re picturing the Loch Ness Monster with a Crocodile Dundee-style Akubra and shark-tooth necklace.
“I’ve been working in this region for 30 years, and I’ve never seen such a beautifully preserved bed with so many high quality and rare specimens, including Obamus,” paleontologist Mary Droser of the University of California-Riverside told USA Today.
But the more you read about Obamus, the more you think the scientists were definitely having a bit of a laugh. The disc-shaped, soft-bodied animal was only half an inch long and spent its entire life on the ocean floor, likely never moving.
Scientists discovered a precambrian animal which is circular, incapable of movement and dwells in mud and slime on the bottom of the ocean. They named it Obamus Coronatus, after a previous President of the United States.
— David (@wellydog67) June 20, 2018
omg…I can't..stop…laughing
"The creature was given the scientific name Obamus coronatus in honor of the president."
"The prehistoric animal was disc-shaped and was only about half an inch long"
Recently discovered ancient sea creature named after Obama https://t.co/S2P8NNaUdm— ??AlanaBandanaCanada?? (@Teeny2Weeny) June 20, 2018
Effectively, Obamus was old and lazy.
It’s not exactly a stunner.
— David (@wellydog67) June 20, 2018
All jokes aside, it was a pretty major scientific discovery.
“We have been seeing evidence for these animals for quite a long time, but it took us a while to verify that they are animals within their own rights and not part of another animal,” Droser said.
You can read the studies in the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences.
We’re sure science nerd Obama is honoured to share his name with an ancient sea creature.
