WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) — Scientists looked to honor United States President Barack Obama by naming a newly discovered blood fluke after him.
The new genus of parasitic flatworms which resides in Malaysian freshwater turtles will be known as “Baracktrema obamai” according to the Journal of Parasitology.
Thomas R. Platt, who discovered the flatworm, told the Philadelphia Inquirer the name was not meant to poke fun at or insult President Obama.
“This is something I take very seriously, and I am doing this with the utmost of respect,” he said.
While he admitted he likely would have avoided naming the flatworm after Obama if he were up for reelection, Platt said the decision came for his deep admiration of the creatures.
“I respect them. I love them dearly. I think they are fantastic,” he said.
