«Nannaria swiftae»
Millipede species named after US singer Taylor Swift
This millipede species “Nannaria swiftae” was named after the singer Taylor Swift. Photo: Dr Derek Hennen/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Scientists at Virginia Tech discover a new species of millipede in the eastern United States – and name it after pop star Taylor Swift. A “great honor” for the singer, say the researchers.
US singer Taylor Swift (32) has received an unusual award: in the future, a millipede species will bear her name.
The “Nannaria swiftae” was discovered by scientists from the University of Virginia Tech in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. The animal, which is around 22 centimeters long, was given the name “Swift Twisted-Claw Millipede” for common use – in German roughly: “Twisted-clawed millipede Swift”.
One of the three experimenters, Derek Hennen, came up with the name. The US scientist sees it as a tribute to dedicate a worm-like invertebrate to the singer (“Shake it Off”, “All Too Well”). “I’m a big fan of their music,” he wrote on Twitter. “So I wanted to show my appreciation by naming this new species from Tennessee after her. A great honor!” The work was published in the specialist magazine Zookeys.