Biology and Band Names

So I just wrapped up my Biology final and one thing I noticed as I was cramming the night/morning before was the unbelievable super-abundance of awesome band names contained within the lexicon of life. I wonder if the biologists high-fived each other upon coming up with them. "Dude, that is so Badass!" Biologists strike me as high-fivers. Anyway, here are some terms I jotted down during my 5-minute power breaks:

Outgroup: Outgroup is used to describe a species or group of species that had been ancestors to modern manifestations.

Potential Sound: Dude, "OutGroup!" That could fit any genre, though I have to admit it has a "fringe" tone to it. They could have a Nine Inch Nails, artfully screamy with generous helpings of white noise, sort of thing. I'm seeing graphic music videos and album covers. Definitely has an Explicit rating on it.

Clades: A way of sorting organisms based on evolutionary characteristics

Potential sound: Alternative rock. Probably something like Snow Patrol. Whoever picked it as a band name liked the sound of it without knowing what it means. Lyrics will probably be overly sentimental. Catchy though, at points. The sort of thing you don't want to admit to your friends you listen to but listen to a lot.

The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium: An "all things being constant" equation for determining levels of genetic variation in a population.

Potential sound: This sounds pretty indie to me. Probably has a flamboyant frontman. Loud, discordant, energetic and vaguely addictive. Will become the acid test for determining indie levels amongst friend groups (like Neutral Milk Hotel in 07). HWE will bring great self-satisfaction to indie snobs and will become the focus of mainstream ire towards the braggart-ness of the indie movement at large. If you like 3 Doors Down or Nickelback you probably wont' like the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.


Founder Effect: The difference in the gene pools of a colony population and its population of origin

Potential sound: Indie again, but not Neutral Milk indie. More like Death Cab or Coldplay (was) indie. Devoted fan base. Will bridge the gap between independent and mainstream music. Piano. Lots and lots of piano.


Genetic Drift: Changes in the gene pool of a population due to chance (ex: natural disasters)

Potential sound: I'm hearing a lot of synth beats. They sound a lot like Burial and will try to remain as mysterious. Probably came from across the pond.


Disruptive Selection: Type of natural selection that favors organisms existing at extremes of a certain phenotype

Potential sound: Metal. Angry, politically conscious metal. Will join Disturbed and System of a Down in gaining a strong mainstream audience. They probably didn't like the Bush Administration. Will be criticized by Bill O'Reilly for corrupting American youth.