The Musical Side of Scientists: Fossils Named after Singers and Bands

In popular imagination, scientists are often portrayed as people who devote all their time exclusively to research, seemingly uninterested in other fields. Reality, however, is far more diverse. Many scientists maintain deep interests in art, music, and culture. The famous physicist Albert Einstein was an accomplished violinist, and the American physicist Richard Feynman even attempted to decipher the Maya script. Such intellectual curiosity extends far beyond physics; researchers in chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy frequently pursue passions outside their primary disciplines.

Paleontology is no exception. Many paleontologists are enthusiastic music fans, and this enthusiasm occasionally finds its way into scientific naming. Some fossil species carry names that subtly reference musicians, albums, or songs admired by their discoverers. Here are several intriguing examples where paleontology and music intersect.

Tupuxuara deliradamus

Figure 1. Fossil reconstruction of Tupuxuara deliradamus (圖片來源：Jaime A. Headden，採用 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 授權。)

This unusual pterosaur was discovered in the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil. Its general appearance resembles that of other members of the genus Tupuxuara. These pterosaurs possessed short tails and toothless beaks, but the species stands out for its extremely large cranial crest, which extends from the snout to the top of the head, giving the skull a striking and unusual profile.

Although both Tupuxuara and this species lack teeth, their evolutionary relationships are not especially close to other toothless pterosaurs. The animal belongs to the family Thalassodromidae, and the absence of teeth represents convergent evolution rather than shared ancestry.

The genus name Tupuxuara originates from Tupi mythology of Brazil, referring to a supernatural being. The species name deliradamus carries a different kind of inspiration. It references the Pink Floyd song “Shine On Crazy Diamond.” The discoverer of the species, Mark Paul Witton, is known to be a fan of the band, and the name reflects this musical influence.

Interestingly, readers familiar with Japanese manga may recognize the phrase “Crazy Diamond,” which later appeared as the name of a character ability in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Both references ultimately trace back to the Pink Floyd song.

Phantaspis auritus

Figure 2. Fossil reconstruction of Phantaspis auritus (圖片來源：Zhishin Xun，採用 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 授權。)

Another fossil whose name reflects musical inspiration is the trilobite Phantaspis auritus. This species was described in 2020 from the middle Cambrian Mantou Formation of Shandong Province in northern China and lived roughly 500 million years ago.

The most distinctive feature of this trilobite is its unusual head shield. In later growth stages the front of the cephalon develops a pair of deep indentations that resemble rabbit ears, a morphology rarely seen among Cambrian trilobites.

The species name auritus comes from Latin and means “having ears,” referring directly to this ear-like shape. The genus name Phantaspis combines the Greek words for “fantasy” and “shield.” Beyond its literal meaning, the name was also chosen as a reference to the album Fantasy by the Taiwanese singer Jay Chou.

According to the describing author Sun Zhixin of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, the fossil could have received a more conventional geographic name. However, he believed that unusual fossils deserve memorable names that inspire curiosity and help people remember them. Naming the genus after Jay Chou’s album was both a personal tribute and a reflection of how music accompanied his research journey.

Jaggermeryx naida

Figure 3. Life reconstruction of Jaggermeryx naida (圖片來源：SeismicShrimp，採用 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 授權。)

The third example comes from a very different animal: an extinct mammal from the Early Miocene of Egypt named Jaggermeryx naida. Fossils of this species were discovered in the Wadi Moghra deposits, a locality famous for preserving a diverse assemblage of anthracotheres—extinct relatives of modern hippos.

Jaggermeryx likely resembled a strange mixture of a slender hippopotamus and a long-legged pig. Geological evidence indicates that the Wadi Moghra environment during the Miocene was swampy, suggesting that the animal probably lived a lifestyle somewhat similar to modern hippos.

The skull of Jaggermeryx shows numerous small nerve openings in the snout, indicating that it possessed large, flexible lips. Because of this distinctive facial anatomy, the researchers jokingly discussed naming the species after celebrities famous for their lips.

Two candidates were reportedly considered: Angelina Jolie and Mick Jagger. In the end, the team adopted a suggestion by Gregg Gunnell and named the animal after Mick Jagger, the legendary lead singer of the Rolling Stones. The resulting name, Jaggermeryx, permanently links a prehistoric mammal to rock music history.

Author: Rodrigo

References:

1. Witton, M. P. (2009). A new species of Tupuxuara (Thalassodromidae, Azhdarchoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil, with a note on the nomenclature of Thalassodromidae. Cretaceous Research, 30(5), 1293–1300.

2. Sun, Z., Zeng, H., & Zhao, F. (2020). A new middle Cambrian trilobite with a specialized cephalon from Shandong Province, North China. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 65(4), 709–718.

3. Miller, E. R., Gunnell, G. F., Abdel Gawad, M., Hamdan, M., El-Barkooky, A. N., Clement, N. D., & Sallam, H. M. (2014). Anthracotheres from Wadi Moghra, early Miocene, Egypt. Journal of Paleontology, 88(5), 967–981.