Neil Young: The New Spiderman
Jun 15th, 2008 by guitarnews
A US biologist, who discovered a new species of trapdoor spider, has named it after his favourite musician, US singer and songwriter, Neil Young.
East Carolina University biologist Jason Bond discovered a new species of trapdoor spider in Jefferson County, Alabama, in 2007. After he confirmed, through the spider’s DNA that the it was an identifiable, separate species of spider within the trapdoor genus, he opted to call the arachnid, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, after his favourite musician, Canadian Neil Young.
“There are rather strict rules about how you name new species,” Mr Bond said.
“As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice.”
Young, 62, is a veteran rock musician who rose to fame in the 1960s with the band Buffalo Springfield and later became a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, whose 1970 release Deja Vu has become a classic rock album.
The singer/songwriter, whose solo work ranges from albums such as Harvest to his more recnt, Living with War, has long been an activist for social and anti-war causes.
Young is not the first musician to have a creature named after him.
A species of beetle that looks as if it is wearing a tuxedo - the “whirligig beetle”, or Orectochilus orbisonorum - was named earlier this year after the late rock ‘n’ roll legend Roy Orbison and his widow Barbara.
