Buzz
Science is a field where seriousness is paramount. The journey for discovery demands commitment, patience, and thorough analysis of data. However, when a breakthrough is made and a new species is uncovered, the scientist often celebrates by giving it a name, marking the pinnacle of their hard work.
For most researchers, this means choosing a meaningful or distinctive name that resonates worldwide. For others, it’s a chance to inject a bit of humor after years of intense research. Occasionally, the name chosen is just downright funny.
Here are 10 of the most amusing names found in the history of science.
10. Turdus maximus
The thrush bird family was never going to escape the awkwardness of their names. To begin with, 'thrush' is also a term for a type of yeast infection in the genital area. Long before this association in the English language, the Romans had already given the birds a less-than-ideal name. In Latin, a thrush was called turdus.
When Latin-speaking scientists established the binomial naming system for animals, they chose Turdus for all thrush species. This led to a range of amusing names like Turdus ignobilis, but one bird ended up with an especially memorable name. The Tibetan blackbird, being quite large, was aptly named Turdus maximus.
9. Scaptia beyonceae
Taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying species based on their relationships, is often viewed as a rather dry and obscure field. However, those who dedicate themselves to studying species have a unique opportunity to attract attention to their work by naming a species after a famous person. This can lead to media coverage, even if the person named after the species isn’t always pleased about it.
In 2011, researchers described a rare fly that had been discovered in 1981. After observing its most striking feature, they found the ideal name. This fly sported a stunning array of golden hairs on its backside. Naturally, the researchers dubbed it 'Bootylicious.' Taking inspiration from this feature, they chose to name the fly after Beyonce, who shares the same birth year as the fly's discovery.
8. Tiny Frogs
The tiniest vertebrate on Earth is a frog known as Paedophryne amauensis. As an adult, it measures only 7.7 millimeters (0.3 in) in length—small enough to sit comfortably on your little fingernail. With such stiff competition, the three new frog species discovered in 2019 had to find a way to stand out in the world of diminutive amphibians.
Locating these tiny frogs deep within the Madagascan jungles was just one of the many challenges. Once the frogs were found by following their distinctive calls, the scientists then had to carefully study them.
With the three new species ranging in size from 8 millimeters (0.31 in) to 15 millimeters (0.59 in), the task proved to be quite tricky. However, after careful examination, the researchers confirmed that these frogs represented a new genus—Mini. As a result, the frogs were aptly named Mini mum, Mini scule, and Mini ature.
7. Spermidine
Chemistry is often referred to as the ‘smelly science,’ and with good reason. Working in a laboratory environment can be a sensory overload, ranging from pleasant aromas to downright unpleasant ones. In earlier times, the sense of smell (and sometimes taste) was the preferred method for distinguishing different chemical compounds—though licking chemicals is no longer advisable. Yet, some chemicals still carry names based on their odors.
The polyamine family of chemicals is known for their potent odors, and their names reflect this characteristic. For example, putrescine and cadaverine are two chemicals responsible for the foul smell of decaying meat. As for spermidine? Its odor is exactly what you might expect.
However, spermidine isn’t just present in male ejaculate. It can also be found in foods such as aged cheese, and some studies suggest it may even help combat liver cancer. Consuming it could potentially be beneficial for your health.
6. Arsole
When chemicals are named according to the international standard, their names are supposed to provide a clear picture of their structure. But these names can often be so long and complicated that they become impractical. As a result, scientists often come up with shorter, more manageable nicknames for them.
One group of researchers had a particularly memorable moment when they synthesized a new chemical. In their excitement, they neglected to close the lab window. During the night, a pigeon flew in and left droppings all over the place. They took this as a sign and humorously named the chemical “cristane,” a reference to “crissum,” the Latin word for a bird’s rear end.
Arsole has a simpler origin. A chemical called phosphole contains a phosphorus atom. When that atom was swapped with arsenic, the name was simply adjusted to reflect the change.
Although arsole has yet to be purified, scientists have synthesized a series of similar molecules, all of which fall under the arsole category. There are no definitive reports describing the scent of an arsole.
5. Penguinone
The name 3,4,4,5-tetramethylcyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one isn’t exactly catchy. For a chemist, it evokes the image of a molecular ring with various side groups. However, to the untrained ear, the name likely holds no meaning. Change the name to penguinone, and suddenly you can probably picture its structure.
Penguinone may not have any practical use at the moment, but it does offer chemists a fun addition to their holiday greeting cards.
4. Sonic Hedgehog
The SHH gene is one of the most essential in the development of animals. The product of this gene is crucial in everything from the development of the brain to the formation of the eyes, playing a vital role in embryo growth across species, from insects to humans.
What does the SHH gene produce? Sonic hedgehog.
The protein produced by the SHH gene is called Sonic hedgehog. When researchers deactivated several related genes in fruit flies, they observed that the flies grew short, spiky hairs, resembling the bristles of a hedgehog. As a result, these genes were named after hedgehogs—specifically the Indian or desert varieties. One researcher, however, chose not to name the gene after a real animal and instead opted for Sonic the Hedgehog.
Not all scientists were on board with this name. “It’s the kind of idea you might toss around at the pub, saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be hilarious to call it Sonic?’” one researcher commented. “But then, you wouldn’t actually do it.”
3. Cummingtonite
For a mineralogist, there is no greater honor than having a mineral named in their honor. Each year, the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names at the International Mineralogical Society bestows names on around 40 new minerals as they are discovered.
This process ensures that newly discovered minerals don’t share names with existing ones. For example, when researchers wanted to honor the mineralogist Paul Moore by naming a mineral after him, they found a mooreite already listed. Thus, the name paulmoorite was created.
Most minerals are named after their discoverers, which is how you end up with jimthompsonite. However, that’s not how cummingtonite received its name. Discovered in Cummington, Massachusetts, this mineral is typically found as slender crystals. It’s also a favorite pick-up line among geology students worldwide.
2. Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus is a herbivorous dinosaur genus that resembled the North American Stegosaurus. It lived in China around 155 million years ago and was an early ancestor of later stegosaurs. Despite being an ancestor, it already had a defensive four-spiked tail to protect itself from predators. Let’s hope it also had a strong sense of humor.
At first, the name Tuojiangosaurus may not seem particularly humorous. However, when the Natural History Museum in London displayed a near-perfectly preserved skeleton of the dinosaur, they listed the pronunciation as “Two-wang-oh-sore-us.” While little is known about its genitalia, it’s unlikely it had two wangs or was sore about it.
Since then, the scientific community seems to have realized the misstep and updated the pronunciation on most websites to “too-YANG-oh-sore-us.” However, the sign at the Natural History Museum still bears the original version.
1. Moronic Acid
Naming a chemical based on its origin is a standard method of classification, as seen with spermidine. What other name could you give an acid derived from a tree called Mora except moronic acid?
Despite its seemingly absurd name, moronic acid has shown potential in studies, proving to be a promising agent against both HIV and herpes.
Moronic acid isn’t the only plant-derived compound with an amusing name. When a substance was isolated from the plant Vinca pubescens, the researchers found no issue with naming it pubescine.
