Zelenskyy honoured by Polish paleontologists as ancient fossil creature named after him

Polish palaeontologists recently named a 150 million-year-old marine invertebrate after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The fossil is a type of 'feather star' and was discovered in the Antalo Limestone Formation of Ethiopia, Africa. The creature is known to have 10 long arms and sharp tentacle-like claws to grip the seabed.

The 150-million-year-old invertebrate is named Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi. Interestingly, the genus name Ausichicrinites refers to US Professor William I Ausich, a leading expert on fossil crinoids, while the species name zelenskyyi has been named after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to honour him for his "courage in defending Ukraine against Russian invasion."

The creature is closely related to sea stars, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins. The preserved creature is the first-ever Jurassic crinoid found on the African continent. Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi belongs to a subgroup of crinoids with no living relatives. 

Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi

Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi is a creature that lived 150 million years ago. It had 10 massive arms and a ring of claw-like appendages near the base to grip the substrate. Interestingly, feather stars are known to have the ability to shed an arm. 

According to Newsweek, lead author Professor Mariusz Salamon, of the University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland, has revealed that the fossil is "extraordinarily preserved". The professor explained that fossil feather stars are mostly known from highly disarticulated specimens. The skin of the animal is covered with tiny ossicles, forming a protective and flexible outer shell. 

World lauds Zelenskyy's courage 

Naming an old fossil is not the only thing that has been done to honour the courage of the Ukrainian President. Since the onset of the ruthless Russian invasion, the world has been lauding Zelenskyy for his bravery and courage in protecting democracy. Earlier in March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was honoured with the highest Czech honours for standing up to Russia. 

The 44-year-old President was also announced the winner of the Boris Nemtsov Prize 2022 in June this year for his courage in leading his country during the ongoing war against its enemy Russia. Earlier in March, several politicians in Europe requested the 'Norwegian Nobel Committee' to nominate Zelenskyy for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.