Etymology is the study of word origins. Marine scientist Leo Chan Gaskins enjoys breaking names down into the components of the Latin words to better understand their meanings. Sometimes the meanings are spot on to describe the shark accurately, and sometimes they can be a bit silly. Scientists use Latin names to differentiate between species, and every species has a two-word unique Latin name, which is usually italicized and based on Greek or Latin root words. A well-known Latin name example is Tyrannosaurus rex, meaning tyrant lizard king. Here are some fun examples of how marine scientists name sharks.