Did you know that Joan Didion has a wasp named after her or that Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, has a shark named after him?
In honor of International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22, CBC Books has put together a list of authors who have influenced scientists to name creatures after them. Check it out:
Bestselling American author Amy Tan said she was “thrilled” to hear that the American Museum of Natural History chose to name a new species of leech after her this January. Chtonobdella tanae is a tiny, terrestrial leech that lives in Australia. The museum told The Guardian that they chose Tan because of her longstanding support for the museum.