A new species of ancient crocodile was named in honor of the soloist of Motörhead

Motörhead founder, vocalist and bassist Lemmy Kilmister in the song Ace of Spades sang "I do not want to live forever." Although the musician died at the end of 2015, his name will probably remain forever - not only because of his songs, but also as part of the scientific name of the ancient species of a relative of a crocodile from the Jurassic period.

Crusher instead of jaw

Lemmysuchus obtusidens, that is, the "blunt-nosed crocodile Lemmy", belonged to an extinct group of marine crocodiles known as teleosaurs. He lived about 164 million years ago in the coastal waters of present-day Europe. In length, it reached 6 meters, and the length of the skull was one meter.

This ancient crocodile had powerful jaws and flattened teeth that could crush mollusk shells or tortoise shell. At that time, it was one of the largest coastal predators. For a long time, the skeleton of Lemmysuchus obtusidens, found in 1909 in England, was mistaken for the remains of another prehistoric species - Steneosaurus obtusidens. But some distinctive features forced scientists to revise the classification.

Jurassic Bad Boy

According to the study, Lemmysuchus obtusidens was very different from close relatives in the shape of the muzzle. The nose shape of Lemmy was shorter and rounder than typical Jurassic teleosaurs. According to the researchers, the nasal surface was “very convex,” and the muzzle was about 62 percent of the total length of the skull.

As a result, scientists came to the conclusion that the skeleton belongs to a new genus, which had to be called somehow. Lemmy Kilmister was notable for his difficult temper; he was best described by the English word nasty - "bad", "bad guy." But it also means “nasty”, “unpleasant”, so the authors of the study decided that the name of the rock musician would be best suited for a prehistoric reptile, which really differed not in the most beautiful appearance (but, perhaps, had the charisma of a rock star).