Worm, of the Deep, I Am

Tuckerfan · Oct 6, 2012

Newly discovered worm named for Yoda.

A worm from an ecosystem far, far away has been named after the Star Wars character Yoda.

Yoda purpurata is one of three new species of deep-sea acorn worms discovered 1.5 miles beneath the Atlantic.

Scientists coined the genus name because the large lips on either side of the creature's head reminded them of the Jedi master's floppy ears. The creature is a dark reddish-purple – hence the other part of the worm's name, which is Latin for purple.

The Yoda worm, technically known as an enteropneust, is described in the latest issue of the journal Invertebrate Biology.

A remotely operated submersible collected the specimen during a research mission along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Iceland and the Azores.

Professor Monty Priede, from the University of Aberdeen, said: "Our colleague in California, Nick Holland, the world authority on enteropneusts, chose the name Yoda for the new genus characterised by its large, ear-like lips. There is much interest in acorn worms from the point of view of understanding the early evolution of the vertebrates. Whilst they are not strictly a missing link in our own evolution, they give an insight into what the lifestyle of our remote ancestors might have been like."

The pint-sized Star Wars character joins a long list of other famous people and characters who have had a new species named after them, including a fish parasite named after Bob Marley; a horse fly named after Beyoncé and a trio of slime-mold beetles named after George Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.
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Admiral Ackbar, it more look like does.

Robotech Master · Oct 6, 2012

Wow. Worm is not the first type of creature that comes to mind when I look at that picture.

Looks more like a jellyfish to me.

The diversity of life is pretty amazing. Especially in the deep oceans.

Bickendan · Oct 7, 2012

Tuckerfan said:

Admiral Ackbar, it more look like does.
Click to expand...

A remotely operated submersible collected the specimen...
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It was a trap.

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Worm, of the Deep, I Am

Tuckerfan BMF

Robotech Master '

Bickendan Custom Title Administrator Faceless Mook Writer

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Worm, of the Deep, I Am

Tuckerfan BMF

Robotech Master '

Bickendan Custom Title Administrator Faceless Mook Writer

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