Re: USAGE: (Mis)Naming a Language

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 12:20:31 +0200, Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> wrote:

>
> If memory serves, B. constrictor became Constrictor constrictor when they
> reformed the taxonomy a while ago, so a plant called B. constrictor would most
> likely be alone with that name.
>
Yes, but most people (Americans at least) call Constrictor constricto
"Boa constrictor". So, a plant could at least share its taxonomic name
with the common name of the snake.


> Interestingly, prokaryots are not allowed to get names used by a plant or
> animal. I'm sure they're most miffed.
One prokaryote to another:

Why do the animals and plants get to use each other's names?! It's
JUST NOT FAIR!


Oh and here's a small list of amusing taxonomic names from:

http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/menke.html

Cedusa medusa McAtee, 1924 (a bug)

Chaos chaos (Linnaeus), 1758 (a protozoan)

Chrysops asbestos Philip, 1950 (a horsefly collected from a mule)

Gluteus minimus Davis and Semken, 1975 (a Devonian fossil of uncertain
affinities)

La cucuracha Blezynski, 1966 (a pyralid moth)

La paloma Blezynski, 1966 (another pyralid moth)

Leonardo davincii Blezynski, 1965 (yet another pyralid moth)

Reissa roni Evenhuis, 2002 ( a microbombyliid fly) (Named after "Rice a Roni")

Scrotum humanum Brookes, 1763 (a dinosaur)

Phthiria relativitae Evenhuis, 1985 (a fly)

Colon rectum Hatch, 1933 (a colonid beetle)

Agra vation Erwin, 1983 (a carabid beetle)

A friend of mine uses the online nickname of "zyzzyva" which is a type of weevil

And an interesting genus: Ninjameys - Ninja - Japanese assasins, meys
- turtle. Anyone growing up in the early 90's would remember the
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"


There is another similar page, but that one will do :).






--
You can turn away from me
but there's nothing that'll keep me here you know
And you'll never be the city guy
Any more than I'll be hosting The Scooby Show

Scooby Show - Belle and Seb
astian

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