Gojira have always been an environmentally conscious band, and now scientists have honored the French metal act by naming three newly discovered fossils after them.
The brittle star fossils were found in France, Luxembourg, and Austria on what was once the bed of the Jurassic Tethys Ocean. Each of the new species were named after the members of Gojira: Ophiogojira labadiei honoring bassist Jean-Michel Labadie; Ophiogojira andreui for lead guitarist Christian Andreu; and Ophioduplantiera noctiluca for both Joe and Mario Duplantier.
Scientists Lea Numberger and Ben Thuy from Luxembourg’s Natural History Museum and biologist Tania Pineda from the Florida Museum of Natural History were behind the fossils’ discovery and naming.
“Genus named in honor 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,” reads the official Royal Society Publishing report on the discovery.
Gojira took to social media to express their gratitude for the fossil naming, sharing a photo of the majestic brittle stars.
“Gojira are now part of Earth’s history, and a small step closer to immortality,” the band wrote in an Instagram post.
It isn’t the first time a metal band has been recognized by paleontologists. Last year, German progressive metallers The Ocean were honored with a fossil in their name. It was befitting, given the group’s affinity for paleontological themes and concept albums.
As for Gojira, the quartet continue to go strong, having released their highly anticipated seventh studio album, Fortitude, earlier this year. The band’s tour with Deftones was once again postponed, now to spring 2022, but Gojira will embark on their own headlining tour in October. Tickets are available here.
See Gojira’s Instagram post below.