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Barack Obama, Prehistoric Lizard King

No, not the T. Rex or Triceratops in the background, and not the Palaeosaniwa chasing after the baby Edmontosauruses. The aqua critter, lower left:

The small, insect-eating lizard was discovered in the badlands of northeastern Montana — its fossil preserved in an area called the Hell Creek formation. Less than a foot long, it had elaborate teeth with three cusps on each tooth and a slender jaw. Some 65 million years ago, it went extinct. And now, it is named for the 44th president of the United States: Obamadon gracilis.

That’ll lock up the critical eight-year-old boy demographic. And really, it beats a fucking puny fish.

Yale scientists name Obamadon, a slender-jawed lizard, after the President [Boston.com, via TPM]


6:41 pm • Monday • December 10, 2012
257 views • comment

5 comments:

ManchuCandidate
9:07 pm • Monday • December 10, 2012

Born in Kenya?

Dave H
9:52 pm • Monday • December 10, 2012

So at the Creation Museum where does this lizard fall in the one true time scale? Did it live before or after Noah and the flood? Did John the Baptist keep one as a pet?

I love that picture but there does appear to be a slight oversight in the caption. The writer goes to great lengths to identify each of the creatures but completely overlooks the meteorite/asteroid streaking to Earth in the background moments before vaporizing all these doomed animals.

Walking Still
10:42 pm • Monday • December 10, 2012

@Dave H: I can help with the asteroid.

It’s name is Republicanus Doucheanus (that’s right, a double anus).

nojo
11:01 pm • Monday • December 10, 2012

@Dave H: Brand-new theory: Prehistoric Mega Volcano!

I’m too lazy to find a link, but it was in the news the past couple of days. Hasn’t yet unseated Prehistoric Killer Asteroid.

Dave H
9:44 pm • Tuesday • December 11, 2012

@nojo: Personally I’m partial to the theory from “Reign of Fire” that it was actually dragons causing all the prehistoric ash as they exterminated the dinosaurs.

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