There are two things that you should never underestimate: The Force and the collective enthusiasm of Star Wars fans all over the world. Fans of Star Wars will do anything and everything to show their love for this iconic film series, and they will go to great lengths to prove their passion. In fact, a group of scientists has even decided to honor their love for George Lucas' sci-fi series by naming a newly discovered ape species after Luke Skywalker.
A recent report from BBC confirms that a newly discovered species of ape has been named after the Star Wars franchise. Native to southern China, the ape species has been classified as the "Skywalker hoolock gibbon." Part of the rationale for this classification is the fact that the English translation of the species' Chinese name means "Heaven's movement," so Skywalker seems equally appropriate. However, it has also received this name simply because the scientists associated with the discovery happen to be fans of Star Wars.
Of course, Luke Skywalker himself eventually decided to chime in on this matter as well. Mark Hamill took to Twitter to express his gratitude for the new species classification:
As it turns out, this is far from the first time that a newly discovered species has been named after an aspect of the Star Wars universe. Over the years we have seen fish named after Greedo, ants named after Jedi, and even spiders named after the Sarlacc. I'm starting to think that some of the people who enjoy Star Wars may be nerds. Who would've thought that?
This new development echoes a longstanding custom among fans of the Star Wars universe. We have mentioned this many times over the years, but it is worth repeating at every opportunity: fans of the Star Wars mythos will do just about anything that they can to properly honor the galaxy far, far away. Sometimes this involves crafting fan-made projects, other times it means creating their very own fiction that coincides perfectly with the Star Wars lore, and in the science community, it sometimes means naming a find after the franchise. Star Wars fans are among the most rabid and loyal fans in the entire world, and their passion for this series should never be questioned.
Make sure to stay tuned for more updates regarding anything and everything related to the Star Wars franchise. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is currently in theaters, and Rian Johnson's Episode VIII is now slated to hit theaters later this year on December 15, 2017.
