Why Were Slime-Mold Beetles Named After Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld?

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In summary, three species of slime-mold beetles have been named after George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald H. Rumsfeld by entomologists Quentin Wheeler and Kelly B. Miller. The names follow the guidelines for naming new species and are meant to pay homage to the leaders for their courage and principles. The names were published in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.
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http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/04/14/bush.beetle.ap/index.html

Bush has slime-mold beetle named after him

ITHACA, New York (AP) -- Not just anybody can say he has a slime-mold beetle named in his honor. But George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald H. Rumsfeld can.

Entomologists Quentin Wheeler and Kelly B. Miller, who recently had the task of naming 65 newly discovered species of slime-mold beetles, named three species after the president, vice president and defense secretary.

The monikers: Agathidium bushi Miller and Wheeler, Agathidium cheneyi Miller and Wheeler, and Agathidium rumsfeldi Miller and Wheeler.

According to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, the first word of a new species is its genus; the second word must end in "i" if it's named after a person; and the final part of the name includes the person or persons who first described the species.

Naming the beetles after Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld was intended to pay homage to them, said Wheeler, who taught at Cornell University for 24 years and now is with the Natural History Museum in London.

"We admire these leaders as fellow citizens who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular," he said.

Wheeler and Miller, who was at Cornell and now is a postdoctoral fellow at Brigham Young University, published the names in the March 24 issue of the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.
 
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"giggles" :smile:


I assume all the dung beetles names are taken...
 
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  • #3
The fact that they did George, Dick and Donnald makes me roflmo.
 
  • #4
Admiration?! Please! Funny though.
 
  • #5
hypatia said:
"giggles" :smile:


I assume all the dung beetles names are taken...
I think that the Nixon administration got those.
 
  • #6
Oh, they're very good at covering and saying they're honoring them. :smile: Yep, honoring them by naming slime beetles for them. Well, they can't actually admit they were making fun of them; they might have some folks in trenchcoats and sunglasses showing up at the door to whisk them away one night. :smile: I think it's time for a new biology textbook edition with some new examples of species nomenclature. :biggrin:
 
  • #7
Slime beetles aren't very popular, but something's got to fill that niche. :-p
 

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