Sunday, March 11, 2012

How to name a shrimp

A new species' journey

Alvinocaris komaii is a hydrothermal vent shrimp. The "Alvin" in the name is indeed a genus name based on the submersible Alvin, which played a huge role in the discovery and exploration of these vent communities. Biologist Kevin Zelnio came across this type quite by accident, and in this blog he gives a nice step-by-step  guide from the first suspicion of a new species to the formal publication.  He also explains why line drawings are still important in this day of digital imagery. 

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