President Obama’s charming and contagious toothy grin has inspired scientists to name an extinct lizard after him!
Called Obamadon gracilis, the name is a Latin combination of the words “Obama’s teeth” and “slender” because the lizard is known to have sharp, tall incisors. The Obamadon gracilis lived during the Cretaceous period, about 145.5 million years. It became extinct 65 million years ago after an asteroid hit Earth.
Scientists admitted to waiting until Obama’s win in the recent election was confirmed before naming the reptile after him. They also note that “Romneydon” (a similar play on Republic presidential candidate Mitt Romney) was never a contender.
Earlier this year, Obama and a handful of former presidents were the namesakes for a newfound species of freshwater perch.