The lizard bears the name of a rock singer

American researchers discovered a new species of ancient Asian lizard and named it after the famous 1960s rock singer, Jim Morrison.

Scientist Russell Ciochon and his colleagues at the University of Iowa said Barbaturex morrisoni lizards are today's iguanas-like herbivores, living in tropical forests about 40 million years ago.

Barbaturex morrisoni lizard

This lizard has a large body, weighs about 27kg, about 1.8m long. They are considered the largest species in this family, dubbed the "king of land lizards" . In Latin, Barbatus means 'prongs' and rex means 'king' , implying describing the barbs in the lower abdomen and lower jaw of this lizard species as well as describing their enormous size. .

The University of Nebraska scientist Jason Head, a member of the research team, said during the study, the group listened to music a lot, so it was inspired to name this species Jim Morrison.

UPI news agency reported that Barbaturex morrisoni species developed about 40 million years ago. At that time, the climate was warmer and more humid, helping subtropical vegetation grow, providing a plentiful source of food for large reptiles and mammals.