lunes, 6 de agosto de 2012

New kind of spider which looks like a goblin is named after Sir David Attenborough... and, believe it or not, this is a compliment

ORIGINAL: DailyMail
4 August 2012

A tiny new species of Goblin Spider has been found on an island off Australia... and has been named after veteran TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

The Prethopalpus Attenboroughi, as it will now be known, was discovered on Horn Island in the Torres Strait off Queensland.

Despite its rather long-winded new name it is just one millimetre long.

It was discovered by Dr Barbara Baehr from the Queensland Museum and Professor Mark Harvey from the Western Australia Museum.

Alec Coles, CEO of the WA Museum, said Sir David was chosen for the honour because of his love of nature and his ability to make science understood by millions over six decades.

Sir David Attenborough with a photograph of the 'prethopalpus attenboroughi' spider at the museum of Western Australia in Perth today
He added: 'Prethopalpus is commonly known as a Goblin Spider, making this species Attenborough's Goblin Spider.

'It is incredible that in the 21st century our scientists are still documenting and describing so many new species.'

Sir David, 86, has now been presented with a framed photo of the spider at the WA Museum in Perth.

The TV legend is currently in Australia on his first speaking tour in the country, which has sold out.

In an acceptance speech in Perth, Western Australia, Sir David said he was honoured by his new namesake.

Sir David Attenborough pictured at the North Pole for the popular BBC series Frozen Planet
He said: 'I take it that it is careful in its judgement, merciless, certainly beautiful and I will treasure it and I thank you very much indeed for this.

'Naming a species is the biggest of compliments that you could ask from any scientific community and I truly thank you very much indeed for this one.'

The broadcaster now has a number of newly discovered species and fossils named after him, including
  • a plesiosaur called Attenborosaurus
  • a rat eating pitcher plant called Nepenthes attenboroughii
  • a fossilised and now extinct species of armoured fish, Materpiscis attenboroughi
  • an Eduadorian flowering tree, Blakea attenboroughii,
  • a long-beaked echidna from New Guinea, the critically endangered Zaglossus attenboroughi.


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