Sponsoring new scientific names
At Panguana, in the Amazonian rainforest of Peru, researchers from many countries study the organisms at a very special hotspot of biodiversity. These activities regularly yield new, interesting species or even higher groups (‘taxa’) in the biological system, which then have to be described in international scientific publications, complete with all corresponding results and a scientific name for each new taxon.
When a scientist establishes such a new name he/she may design it in honor of, or according to input from, a personal sponsor who has contributed to the Panguana project.
Become the personal sponsor of a scientific name!
All organisms pictured above have been described already, but one never knows – biological systematics of the natural world has seen substantial changes due to recent molecular methods, including new names for subdivisions previously ‘lumped’ into just one named taxon.
Above all, many more novel and curious organisms will be described from Panguana. Do join in with your name!
Recent discoveries included new dragonflies, butterflies, millipedes, tiny soil mites and, as a big surprise, also quite beautiful scorpions. One might have thought that animals of such considerable size should all have been long known. However, this is a good example of the enormous biological diversity at Panguana, which has been unraveled in small parts only and will keep researchers puzzling for quite a while to come.
Now you have the opportunity to donate to the Panguana project and, in return, see a new scientific name published to reflect your input. There is a fair chance that this contribution of yours will stand as the proper name for the described organism for a long time, possibly even forever. May be, you know someone whom you would like to honor and/or surprise in this way? A sponsored name can make a rare and unique gift for a special person. Alternatively, the new taxon may simply be named after you, too.
A case in point using an example from above: For someone born under the sign of Scorpio, wouldn’t it be a nice idea to have a newly discovered scorpion described in his/her name?
If you wish to sponsor and suggest a name, please see the link below and send e-mail to Mrs. Dr. Juliane Diller, the current director of Panguana. Your donation will reach the Panguana Foundation and support a marvelous nature reserve, the on-site research station and the scientific work performed there.
We’re sorry! We have received a name for these already (genus Tityus). But there are many more like us!
Photograph: F. Kovarík
The publication on the new scorpions: Kovarík, F., R. Teruel, G. Lowe & S. Friedrich (2015):
Four New Scorpion Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Amazonian Peru. – Euscorpius No. 210. 40 pp
Online-Publikation (PDF)