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New Lichen Named for Obama

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 16, 2009 6:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – The latest honor for the president: A University of California scientist has named a new species of lichen after him, the Los Angeles Times reports. It's a compliment. The scientist did much of his research on Caloplaca obamae during the campaign and says the strain shares a characteristic with the president: they're both resilient. He also wanted to acknowledge Obama's emphasis on science. “I think there’s a dung beetle named after Bush,” he said. “That’s definitely an insult.”

This isn't President Obama's official lichen, but it bears a resemblance.
This isn't President Obama's official lichen, but it bears a resemblance.   (Flickr)
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I supported him running for president and while we were doing the collecting, the election was in its last couple of weeks It was real suspense so we were talking about that every day. - Kerry Knudsen, UC Riverside

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
riffran
Apr 17, 2009 12:05 PM CDT
im not "lichen" this story....rofl.....sorry I cant pass up a good pun
Fondue
Apr 17, 2009 12:01 PM CDT
I think I'd rather be some kind of lichen. Dung Beetles may be a higher lifeform, but they eat poop or live in poop. Plus, higher lifeform or not, I'm more prone to squash a bug and leave the lichen alone. But, it's all in the eye of the beholder.
paul123
Apr 16, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
dung beetles are also a higher life form....

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