Scientist names new species of millipede after Taylor Swift

taketonews


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Taylor Swift 2020 during a photoshoot.

Photo: Universal Music. All rights reserved.

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A group of scientists have named a newly discovered species of millipede after Taylor Swift. The new species is called Nannaria swiftae, a brown-orange millipede found in a Tennessee forest.

In a tweet, Dr. Derek Hennen on Saturday (April 16, 2022) shared the name of the insect species he and his team at Virginia Tech discovered. The millipede was named because Hennen is a big fan of Swift:

“I wanted to show my appreciation by naming this new Tennessee species after her,” Hennen wrote. The scientist also called it “a great honor!”.

Music helped scientists through school days

Hennen and his team had been searching for the centipedes in the Appalachian Mountains for five years. So far, the Nannaria swiftae has only been spotted in Tennessee, Swift’s home state. He also explained his motivations, per Rolling Stone: “Her music helped me get through the ups and downs of grad school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thank you.”

So far, Taylor Witt has not commented on her insect of the same name. However, Hennen hopes she’s happy about the naming: “I know not everyone likes bugs as much as I do, but I hope she thinks it’s a nice touch,” he said. “It’s a great honor for us scientists when a species is named after you, and I hope they feel the same way.”

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