[Taxacom] latin names with funny stories

[David Campbell]

Cal(l)i- is a root meaning beautiful.  There is a Japanese freshwater
mussel, Sinanodonta calipygos (sometimes lumped under S. woodiana).  The
genus means Chinese no teeth, while the specific epithet is what an
Australian might think is meant by the species epithet superbum.  I don't
know a specific story behind it; calipygos was a traditional designation of
Aphrodite in Corinth and has made its way into various languages (P. G.
Wodehouse worked it into an Uncle Fred novel), so it is not a new
construction and perhaps more likely an example of having a sense of humor
similar to Linnaeus than having a specific posterior in mind.  A similar
line of reasoning probably applies to the problematic fossil Gluteus
minimus, also featuring a somewhat familiar-looking (in hindsight) bilobed
shape.

Sadly, Abra cadabra is both a subjective junior synonym and probably
deserving assignment to a different genus of tellinid bivalve.  Extra
extra, however, is a valid cystiscid snail.

 -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:
> taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Luis POPA
> Sent: 22 October 2013 16:35
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: [Taxacom] latin names with funny stories
>
> Dear friends,
> I'm interested in finding scientific names (in zoology) with funny stories
> behind them. Can you point me to such cases?
> Thank you very much.
> Best,
> luis
>
> --
> Luis Popa, Ph.D.
> Research Scientist
> Head of Molecular Biology Department
> "Grigore Antipa" National Museum of Natural History Sos. Kiseleff No. 1
> Bucharest  011341 ROMANIA
> Tel: 004 021 312 88 26, 004021 312 88 63
> Fax: 004 021 312 88 63
> Mobile: 004 0742 239 212, 004 0757 096 442
>
>
> --
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-- 
Dr. David Campbell
Assistant Professor, Geology
Department of Natural Sciences
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs NC 28017