After Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lionel Messi Immortalized in 20,000,000-Year-Old Fossil and Lizard in a Stunning Tribute Amid Inter Miami Move

Animals and humans go hand in hand. They have a unique bond with one another but also can go the other way. People adore their pet animals naming them all sorts of unique names. But picture yourself so distinguished that animals get named after you. Enter Lionel Messi, who has the respect of the animal kingdom. With millions of undiscovered animals, scientists gave tribute to an Argentinian soccer player by naming one 20,000,000-year-old fossil and another lizard. Likewise, Arnold Schwarzenegger has two insects named after him too. 

The CONICET (National Council for Scientific Research) is an institution that sponsors those who have made these appointments. Hence, Messi received his name from him amongst the flora and fauna of the earth. 

A fossil and a lizard named after the legendary Lionel Messi

According to Bioguia, the first one is a clam with a scientific name called Discinisca messii. It is a mollusk discovered in the Province of Chubut. After closer analysis, they identified how the fossil inhabited around 20 million years ago. It’s a fascinating honor for Messi, as only the rarest celebrities receive these recognitions. Likewise,  Liolaemus messii is a lizard named after the latest Inter Miami star. They found the lizard in the northwestern part of Argentina, and a small valley in the highlands of Salata inhabits this species. The lizard feeds on insects and has his body filled with colored spots. 

They mentioned messii at the end of the species names as science honors the legendary soccer player. It is a remarkable tribute to a player who won the World for Argentina in 2022. Hence, it is one of the best honors for the player in recent times. 

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Similar to Messi, other celebrities have their names on the species’ masthead. One of them is Arnold Schwarzenegger, the iconic bodybuilder from the Alps. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger gets two species named after him!

The first among the two is a beetle called Agra schwarzeneggeri. It belongs to the carabid beetle family. The scientists collected the holotype in Costa Rica and named it in 2002. They named him after him because of the markedly developed biceps-like shape. They found the second one in the Amazon forest, parts of Brazil. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County entomologist Brian Brown pointed out why they named it after Arnold. 

Brown mentioned, “As soon as I saw those bulging legs, I knew I had to name this one after Arnold.” We know the fly as Megapropodiphora arnoldi and, contrastingly to Arnold, it is one of the world’s smallest flies, which measures up to 0.395 mm. Those enlarged forelegs became the ideal shape for the committee to name it after Arnold. 

It is not an easy feat to get your name amongst animal species. Lionel Messi and Arnold Schwarzenegger are legends of their respective fields and deserve special mention. Are they meriting this title?

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