New species of centipede named after Taylor Swift - yuetu.info

In honor of the 32-year-old American performer Taylor Swift, a new species of centipede, previously discovered in the Appalachian mountain system in the United States, has been named. Billboard reports.

The head of the scientific group, which made the discovery of 16 species of previously unknown arthropods, turned out to be a fan of the singer. On his initiative, one of the centipedes was named Nannaria swiftae.

However, the difficulties in capturing the animals led to such specimens remaining unexplored for decades. Hennen, Means, and Marek decided to fix this and launched a multi-year project to find new samples. All this took place in the eastern part of the United States. The researchers visited 17 states, looking for centipedes under fallen leaves, rocks, and logs. Scientists identified their species, extracted biomaterial, and described in detail each experiment. In the end, they reviewed over 1,800 samples. Thanks to this, the authors of the work identified 17 new species. Among them was a centipede dedicated to Swift.

In the process of catching animals, the researchers found that representatives of new species are distinguished by unusual behavior. They prefer to live in forests and are often found near streams. In addition, such centipedes spend most of their time in the soil, showing more secretive behavior than their “relatives.” Scientists lovingly describe arthropods, making notes that can cause panic in a person with a fear of insects. So, they note that new centipedes are characterized by “caramel color with white, red or orange spots.”

It all ends with a quote from Hennen expressing his gratitude to Taylor Swift. “Her music helped me get through my ups and downs in graduate school, so naming a new centipede species after her is my way of expressing gratitude,” the scientist said.

How the singer herself reacted to this news is still unknown.

Previously, the mansion in Pennsylvania, where Taylor Swift grew up, was sold at a discount.

In January of this year, an unknown person attacked the singer’s apartment in New York. The man who tore the intercom out of the door of the performer’s house was arrested.