Scientists Discover New Snail, Name It After Greta Thunberg

The actual Greta Thunberg was reportedly "delighted" to have this species named after her.

A Snail is Born

While on an expedition in Brunei's Ulu Temburong National Park, a team of researchers and citizen scientists discovered a never-before-classified species of snail.

After taking a vote, they decided to name it Craspedotropis gretathunbergae — after teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Slime Time

Details about the new snail, published today in the Biodiversity Data Journal, suggest that Thunberg is an appropriate namesake.

Craspedotropis gretathunbergae is incredibly sensitive to changes in weather and temperature, according to its discoverers.

"Naming this snail after Greta Thunberg is our way of acknowledging that her generation will be responsible for fixing problems that they did not create. And it's a promise that people from all generations will join her to help," J.P. Lim, a citizen scientist who found the first individual of Greta Thunberg's snail, explained in a press release.

Star Power

The research team behind the snail was organized by Taxon Expeditions, a company that pairs citizen scientists with researchers for discovery expeditions.

It's not the first time a team from Taxon Expeditions has leveraged a celebrity climate activist's name for a new species. In 2018, the group discovered and named a new beetle after actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio.

According to a press release, the actual Greta Thunberg was "delighted" to have this species named after her.

READ MORE: Citizen scientists discover a new snail, name it after Greta Thunberg [EurekAlert]

More on rare species: Scientists Thought This Creature Was Extinct For 30 Years. Then It Returned.