Facts on Scientific Names of Organisms

Ant writes "From my ant message board thread (trying to pick names related to ants for World of Warcraft), Myrmecos mentioned Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature that lists scientific names of organisms are not usually known for their entertainment value. They are indispensable for clarity in communication, but most people skip over them with barely a glance. Mark Isaak, the author, collected those names that are worth a second look. Some names are interesting for what they are named after (for example, Arthurdactylus conandoylensis, Godzillius), some are puns (La cucaracha, Phthiria relativitae), and some show other kinds of wordplay (such as the palindromic Orizabus subaziro). Some have achieved notability through accident of history, and many show the sense of humor of taxonomists."

Comments

Sometimes the name is very appropriate

[SIGBUS]

As with the common stinkhorn, a mushroom that is known scientifically as Phallus impudicus .

Re:Mineral/rock naming is pretty fun too

[Incadenza]

It was first found in Cummington, USA.

For more funny minerals/molecules names (Arsole, Nonanone, Spamol), there's this silly page. Has a picture of Cummingtonite as well.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy naming reference

[sidetrack]

There is a fish - found in New Zealands' Fjordland (Milford Sound, and surrounding Fjords), which has been given the name "Fiordichthys slartibartfasti" - after Slartibartfast - the award-winning Fjord designer in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker books.

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm ?id=56407