A team of researchers in New Guinea discovered two new species of ants. Surprisingly, these two new species have been named after HBO's popular fantasy series, "Game of Thrones."
The researchers have named the species Pheidole viserion and Pheidole drogon, Winter is Coming reported. "Game of Thrones" fans would not even take a second guess to realize that "Viserion" and "Drogon" are the names of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons in the "Game of Thrones," while the first name Pheidole refers to a common genus of ants.
It is said that the reason why the researchers kept such names is the presence of unusual spikes at the back of the ants, which resembles to the distinctive spikes on Drogon and Viserion's back, Radio Times reported.
Spikes are usually present as a mechanism to provide a defense against predators attempting to kill the ants. In addition to protection, the research team believes that spikes help provide support to the overly large heads of such ants, particularly the ones belonging to Pheidole genus.
This is not the first time that something has been named after a "Game of Thrones" character. In another case, Dr. Tim O'Hara named a new type of common brittlestar Ophiohamus georgemartini. The species has been named after the author of "A Song of Ice and Fire," George R.R. Martin. According to O'Hara, the shape of the common brittlestar resembled the crown on the cover of "A Clash of Kings."
If this does not sound sufficient, then you must know that there may be plenty of species out there, waiting to be named after a "Game of Thrones" character.
