A new species of snail in Taiwan was named in celebration of same-sex marriage.
For a century, this species of snail, called Aegista diversifamilia, was around, but it was commonly confused for the snail Aegista subchinensis species before a group of scientists finally gave them a name of their own, reports the Washington Post.
Scientists began studying the subchinensis species after realizing that the snails on both sides of a mountain range, which were both thought to be the same species, had different shell shapes.
Upon investigation, scientists realized that the snails were two completely different species of snails.
The scientists decided to call the snail diversifamilia since the species was a hermaphrodite, with both male and female characteristics, WP reports.
Co-author Yen-Chang Lee of Academia Sinica in Taipei said in a statement the name with the "diverse" prefix brings light to the controversial topic of same sex-marriage and supports the cause.
"When we were preparing the manuscript, it was a period when Taiwan and many other countries and states were struggling for recognition of same-sex marriage rights," Lee said in the statement. "They represent the diversity of sex orientation in the animal kingdom."
Last week in Taiwan, protests began over the government's legislation to put aside a bill that could have legalized same-sex marriage in the country, reports The Guardian. With the high emotions regarding the issue, the scientists thought the name for the species was appropriately highlighting a human rights issue currently being debated in their country and throughout the rest of the world.
The study was published today in the journal ZooKeys.
