In a case of justifiable nerding out, a group of paleontologists have named a recently discovered dinosaur after a character in the Lord Of The Rings. The carnivore’s remains, found in the deserts of present day Morocco, have a very distinct dome over the eye socket. Not much else beyond that small piece of the skull was discovered, but since it’s so distinct from all other known predators, experts are comfortable labeling it as its own species. Consequently, researcher Andrew Cau and his team were allowed to choose a name, and because of the predominant feature, they decided to give a fitting shoutout to Sauron via the moniker Sauroniops pachytholus.
According to The Huffington Post, there are two working theories as to why the dome over the eye would have existed. Either Sauroniops used it to headbutt foes or to coax other dinosaurs into making babies. As for the rest of the dinosaur community in Morocco at the time, the aggressive eye was likely a sign of impending danger. Paleontologists think the species likely measured in at over forty feet long and enjoyed consuming meat.
With all due respect to Lou Gehrig and Charles Ponzi, having something named after you or one of your creations is typically a great time. It’s too bad JRR Tolkien wasn’t alive to see this. Something tells me he would have gotten a kick out of Sauron’s name being used for a menacing predator.
