Paleontologist names new bryozoan after his cats

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

For those interested in unusual etymologies and/or who teach taxonomy and
have a note or two about where names come from:

In the latest issue of Geology, a new species of bryozoan (significant as
the first definite Cambrian bryozoan) was described. The authors named it
Pywackia baileyi. In the etymology, they state "Pywackia (L.), named for
Pywacket (1992-), EL's tough, friendly white cat." and "baileyi (L.), named
for Bailey (1992-1996), a gentle, tawny cat."

Landing, L., A. English & J.D. Keppie. 2010. Cambrian origin of all
skeletalized metazoan phyla-Discovery of Earth's oldest bryozoans (Upper
Cambrian, southern Mexico). Geology 38:547-550. doi: 10.1130/G30870.1 

http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/38/6/547.full

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA