A fossil of a 190-million-year-old worm has been found in Denmark, and it’s going to join the league of ancient creatures named after famous rock stars. The fossil has been named Serpula alicecooperi after famed American shock-rocker Alice Cooper.
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The Alice Cooper fossil is a serpulid worm. This is a type of marine worm that is capable of creating calcium tubes to live in. These creatures can filter sea water with their tentacles and retract into their calcium tubes when threatened. We don’t know how this screams “Alice Cooper”, but it’s an honor nonetheless.
The ancient creature’s fossil was discovered by Mette Hoftstedt in Hasle sandstone on the island of Bornholm in Denmark. It is currently being studied by geologists and researchers at Geomuseum Faxe, also in Denmark.
Why Was The Fossil Named After Alice Cooper?
Luckily, one of the researchers provided some insight into why they chose the “No More Mr. Nice Guy” singer to be the namesake of the new species.
“When we studied the fossil, it quickly became clear that it was a new and unknown species of serpulid worm we were dealing with,” said Jesper Milàn, a researcher at Geomuseum Faxe. “Being both a paleontologist and a huge fan of metal and rock music, I have always thought that if somebody deserved to have a fossil named in his honor, it should be Alice for his enormous impact on the musical scene during the last [half-century], and his music has been firmly playing in the background during much of my research.”
“Serpulid worms were pioneers in their particular lifestyle when they first evolved,” Milàn continued. “Alice was a pioneer of the chock rock scene when he arrived during the late sixties, and he is still around to this very day.”
It’s clear these Danish researchers are fans of Cooper. Luckily for other Danish fans, Cooper will be touring in Denmark in June of this year!
Photo by Cole Bennetts
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