Mar. 30th, 2006

Nerd Humor

Mar. 30th, 2006 06:50 am
teslanomaly: (Science!)
So, yesterday I started trying to key out bugs. I worked with odonates a little bit in college, so I decided to tackle them first, since my prior experience should make them easiest. I'd separated out the odonates (an order which includes both dragonflies and damselflies) but quickly realized that I had to use SEPARATE keys for the two types of critter.

So I took a minute to start divvying up the dragonflies from the damselflies. About halfway through the process, I looked at what I'd done and began to giggle madly.

I expected one of the jars to turn on the other, attack it, and drag it off to its lair, toasting a few knights on the way. Sorting them with the jars so close seemed... unhealthy, for everyone concerned.

Then, later on, I was looking into some scientific names on the computer. I found a couple of articles listing real scientific names that were bestowed by scientists with a sense of humor. Given all the bone-dry journal articles I've read, it's nice to know these guys are out there.... and handing out names like:

  • Pthiria relativitae (alas, reclassified as Poecilognathus relativitae)
  • Abra cadabra (also reclassified - not because the name was silly, but for taxonomic reasons!)
  • Apopyllus now
  • Ba humbugi
  • Gluteus minimus
  • Heerz tooya (and the generically-related Heerz lukenatcha)
  • Kamera lens
  • La cucaracha
  • Pison eu
  • Ytu brutus
  • Vini vidivici
  • Dissop irae (the name of a hard-to-see fossil animal)
  • Agra vation
  • Verae peculya
  • Ninjameys sp. (A fossil turtle - yes, named for our four heroes!)
  • Aha ha
  • Reissa roni
  • Villa manillae
  • Leonardo davanci

    So amused. So very amused.
  • teslanomaly: (teatime)
    But you will not escape, [livejournal.com profile] durodragon. Happy Belated Birthday! <3 <3 <3

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