Species are often named for how they look, and after famous people or characters in popular culture.
For Fun!
Videos From the Exhibit
Videos from the "What's in a Name?" exhibit at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
What am I?: I might not be who you think I am…
More Videos!
Click on the links below for more videos about naming species:
Auburn professor discovers catfish species, names it for Star Wars character
Duke University Biologist Names 19 Species of Ferns for Lady Gaga
Science Today: What's in a Name | California Academy of Sciences
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Slideshow Image Credits
Wonderpus Octopus,Wunderpus photogenicus.Credit: Mark Rosenstein,iNaturalist.org. CC BY-NC-SA; Mandelia mirocornata.Credit: Wilhelm, Flickr. CC BY 2.0; Spongiforma squarepantsii. Credit: Tom Bruns, Mushroom Observer. CC BY-SA 3.0; Clematis Princess Diana.Credit AC, Wikimedia. CC BY 2.0.