New Lizard Species Named After President Obama’s Teeth
President Obama has officially become a lizard. A newly unearthed fossilized prehistoric lizard has been named after the commander in chief because of its teeth.
The foot long extinct reptile has been named “Obamadon gracilis,” (Latin for Obama’s teeth) as an ode to the president’s pearly whites.
First found in 1974 in eastern Montana, the lizard was originally classified under the incorrect species. The lizard lived during the Cretaceous period and fell into extinction with dinosaurs 65 million years ago, after an asteroid hit earth. “The lizard has these very tall, straight teeth and Obama has these tall straight incisors and a great smile,” said Nick Longrich, the Yale paleontologist who named the species.
Longrich revealed that had the president not been re-elected the lizard would’ve been given another name out of respect. “It would look like we were kicking him when he’s down if he lost and we named an extinct lizard after him.”
Giving the lizard it’s name wasn’t a political move, Longrich asserts. He also pointed out that the name “Romneydon” was never considered.
In addition to the lizard, Obama has a species organism known as a linchen named after him. His name has also been given to one of five freshwater perch species, while the other fish are named after Al Gore, Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.