Thursday 23 June 2011

A Real Fun-Guy!

Scientists have named a species of mushroom after SpongeBob SquarePants. Spongiforma squarepantsii was found during an expedition to Borneo. The scientific journal Mycologia has the details.

squarepants fungus

 

spongebob

Apparently, the mushroom bears a strong resemblance to a sea sponge, and under a scanning electron microscope, the spore-producing area of the fungus looks like a seafloor carpeted in tube sponges, say the researchers. This convinced them to name the species after the cartoon character.

Whatever will future generations make of such a bizarre name?

[For readers abroad, who may not have encountered this chap, SpongeBob is the star of an eponymous television cartoon series which began in 1999. He wears a short pair of square, brown trousers, and lives in the fictional locality of Bikini Bottom]

2 comments:

  1. I always wonder about future generations, too. Interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Angela, not much surprises me anymore!
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete

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