A newfound amoeba species whose funnel-shaped shell resembles a wizard's hat has been named after one of the most famous warlocks: Gandalf, of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Arcella gandalfi (top left) looks like Gandalf's hat. Other amoebae from the Arcella genus look like hats too. Arcella brasiliensis (top right) may be closely related to A.gandalfi.

In the case of a recently-described new species of Thecamoeba, that shell resembles the wizard's hat worn by Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. It's only fitting, therefore, that the microorganism ...

Hats off A. gandalfi is an itty-bitty creature. It ranges in color from light yellow to brown, and its carapace has a diameter of 0.0032 inches (81 micrometers) and a height of 0.0028 inches (71 ...

Researchers based at the University of São Paulo have named a newly discovered species of amoeba after the wizard Gandalf due to its shells striking resemblance to the wizard's gray hat.