When a scientist discovers a new and unknown fossil, he gets to give it a scientific name. Some choose a name that reflects the shape of the animal, some choose a name that relates to where it’s found, and others choose to name them after their favorite rock stars.
A new exhibition, “Heavy Metal And Punk Fossils”, explores this more amusing part of natural history by focusing on a series of bizarre fossils that all are named in honor of rock stars. One of the pieces on display will be a 420-million-year-old worm with huge jaws, which carries the nameKingnites Diamondi, named by Professor Mats Eriksson, from Lund, Sweden, after the Danish metal maestro King Diamond. Another equally old and ferocious-looking worm is named Kalloprion Kilmisteri, after Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD. Other fossils that are portrayed in the exhibition are named after members of AC/DC, BAD RELIGION, SEX PISTOLS, and RAMONES. And although not very metal, a fiercely looking dinosaur, Masikasaurus Knopfleri, is named after Mark Knopfler fromDIRE STRAITS.
The exhibition portrays the story behind the fossils, the rock stars and the scientists behind the names, and the funny anecdotes about why they choose the names they did.
The exhibition is being held as a cooperation between Dr. Jesper Milàn, curator at Geomuseum Faxe and Esben Horn from 10Tons Aps, a company specializing in zoological and palaeontological reconstructions who built models for the exhibition.
Professor Mats Eriksson from Lund, Sweden, Dr. Gregory Edgdecombe, Natural History Museum in London and Dr. Jingmai O’Connor from Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing have been scientific supervisors on the project.
The “Heavy Metal And Punk Fossils” exhibition will open on June 9 at Geomuseum Faxe in Faxe, Denmark.
