Obamus
Obamus coronatus is a torus-shaped Ediacaran fossil from the Rawnsley Quartzite of South Australia named in honor of former American President Barack Obama.[1]
| Obamus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| artist's reconstruction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| (unranked): | |
| Genus: | †Obamus |
| Species: | †O. coronatus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Obamus coronatus Dzaugis et al., 2018 | |
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Morphology
The fossils show a multi-ridged body embedded in the biofilm of the original environment, with one end of the body tucked into or beneath the other end to form a ring, so that the living organism would have resembled a French cruller doughnut.
Etymology
The generic epithet honors President Obama, partly in reference to his love and patronage of the sciences, and allegedly because the fossil organisms resemble his ear.[1] The specific epithet, "coronatus," meaning "wreath," refers to the torus or ring-shape of the fossils.[1]
References
- Dzaugis, P. W.; Evans, S. D.; Droser, M. L.; Gehling, J. G.; Hughes, I. V. (2018). "Stuck in the mat: Obamus coronatus, a new benthic organism from the Ediacara Member, Rawnsley Quartzite, South Australia". Australian Journal of Earth Sciences: 1–7. doi:10.1080/08120099.2018.1479306.
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