Featured Image Credit: Andrew Matthews - Pool/Getty Images
British broadcaster and natural historian and conservationist, Sir David Attenborough, is celebrating his 100th birthday today (May 8), and to honor the occasion, a new species has been named after him.
This comes after a new type of wasp was discovered at the Patagonian lakes in Chile.
While it was first collected back in 1984, it went unnoticed until one researcher spotted some key differences to the other wasps.
Now, the insect has been officially named Attenboroughnculus tau in honor of Attenborough’s milestone birthday.
Advert
In a report published in the Journal of Natural History, it said: “David Attenborough has featured Chile’s diverse, extreme landscapes in several documentaries, emphasising the unique environmental challenges and ecological resilience of species within the country.”
It added: “We hope to inspire global scientists to take another look in their collections to see if there is something small that could contribute to our collective understanding and therefore the future of our natural world. The name is a concatenation of ‘Attenborough’ and ‘Pedunculus’.”
It also recognizes the work done by the broadcaster to highlight the importance of nature conservation.
A concert will be held this evening at the Royal Albert Hall in London to mark the big birthday.
In an audio message published yesterday, Attenborough said: “I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas.
“I have been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings, from pre-school groups to care home residents, and countless individuals and families of all ages.”
He went on to add: “I simply can’t reply to each of you separately, but I’d like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages, and wish those of you who have planned your own local events: Have a very happy day.”
Attenborough has had many well-wishers ahead of the big day, with Prince Harry speaking to Time to say: “His most significant contribution has been the systematic dismantling of the notion that climate issues are happening ‘somewhere else’.
“Young people continue to listen to him not just for the spectacle of nature, but for a sense of continuity in an unstable world.”
Meanwhile, conservationist Robert Irwin, who is the son of the late Steve Irwin, said: “Happy 100th birthday Sir David Attenborough. Thank you so much for inspiring me and generations to have a deeper understanding and connection to what’s more important: our beautiful natural world.”
