In 2024, Japanese researchers discovered a new species of chiton in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench at a depth of 5,500 meters. The iron-toothed mollusk, which lives exclusively on sunken wood in the deep sea, caught the attention of YouTuber Ze Frank, who featured it on his popular 'True Facts' series.

Scientists at the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance partnered with Ze Frank and Pensoft Publishers to crowdsource a name for the newly discovered species. Within one week, they received more than 8,000 suggestions via social media, ranging from scientific references to pop culture nods.

After careful consideration, researchers chose Ferreiraella populi, meaning 'of the people,' from 11 identical submissions. The name reflects both the creature's habitat on deep-sea wood and the unprecedented public involvement in the scientific naming process. This crowdsourced approach marks a significant departure from traditional taxonomy, where species names typically take 10-20 years to finalize through academic channels.