Gojira Have Three New Fossils Named After Them

Gojira joins the growing list of bands whose legacy has now also been cemented in the world of paleontology as three newly discovered fossils are now named after the French metal band.

Paleontologists Lea Numberger and Ben Thuy from Luxembourg's Natural History Museum and biologist Tania Pineda from the Florida Museum of Natural History are responsible for the discoveries and naming the brittle star fossils after the band. The freshly minted fossils are named individually after the group's members. They are: Ophiogojira labadiei and Ophiogojira andreui, as well as the closely-related third fossil named Ophioduplantiera noctiluca.

The fossils were discovered in France, Luxembourg and Austria on what was once the Jurassic Tethys Ocean bed. There are reportedly 190-million years old.

In a report issued by the Royal Society, the name for the fossils is explained: “Genus named in honour of French metal band Gojira, for producing songs of an unfathomable intensity, beautifully dark and heavy, and exploring the abyss of life and death, of human strength and error, and of thriving and yet threatened oceans.”

The band also tweeted about the fossils after learning of the naming and their existence, commenting that they are now connected with Earth history for eternity.

The actual Gojira have been around a much shorter time than their fossil counterparts, but they definitely rock. You can see that for yourself when they hit the road stateside later this month, kicking off a mix of festival appearances and their own dates at the Louder Than Life festival Sept. 24 in Louisville. See all of their scheduled shows and get ticketing info here.