Scientists at the National History Museum in London have named a monstrous prehistoric crocodile after the late Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister – frontman of Motörhead.
A monstrous prehistoric crocodile has been named Lemmysuchus in memory of Lemmy from Motörhead.
The 145 million-year-old Jurassic-era sea croc had to be renamed after scientists realised that it had been misclassified when it was first discovered in 1909.
Lorna Steel, a curator at the National History Museum who specialises in bone histology, crocodylomorpha, fossil reptile curation, and pterosauria – and is also a huge Motörhead fan – suggested Lemmysuchus.
“Although Lemmy passed away at the end of 2015,” Steel told the BBC. “We’d like to think that he would have raised a glass to Lemmysuchus, one of the nastiest sea creatures to have ever inhabited the Earth. As a long-standing Motorhead fan I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to immortalise the rock star in this way.”
Lemmysuchus – which translates roughly to Lemmy’s Crocodile – was a giant 19ft predator.
“I had found a small crocodile in Morocco and thought that would have to do,” says Steel. “But then this one emerged and I thought ‘Oh My God!’ this is the nastiest, meanest, biggest sea-crocodile there was. So it was perfect.”
“Sea crocs are extinct now, but they were once a massive group of their time and were dominant in the Middle Jurassic. You wouldn’t have wanted to come across one. They were far bigger than today’s crocodiles. These things were massive, with armoured plates on their back and belly.”
Lemmy would be honoured.
[via Noisey]
