Mick Jagger has a 'long-legged' fossilised pig with 'mobile and tactile lips' named in tribute

Well, this has got to rank along with the Rolling Stones’ frontman’s greatest achievements surely

Compliments really don’t get much better - Mick Jagger has been honoured by having a swamp-dwelling fossil named after him.

Two scientists - both of whom are Rolling Stones fans - have called a newly-discovered creature Jaggermeryx naida - Jagger’s water nymph.

The reason for the unlikely moniker? Apparently, it was the musician’s full mouth that made his name pop into the imaginations of US scientists Ellen Miller and Gregg Gunnell, who described the animal as having “a highly innervated muzzle with mobile and tactile lips”.

Other alternatives were suggested, including Angelina Jolie, but eventually it was decided that only Jagger had lips worthy enough. The creature has been described as a hybrid of a slender hippo and long-legged pig and originally existed around 19 million years ago in swampy terrain, although was found in a desert area of Egypt.

Jagger is, strangely, yet to comment on the accolade.

This is the second type of fossil to be named after the singer - Jagger was the name given to a type of trilobite, while Keith Richards has been bestowed with the same honour.

In July, Jennifer Lopez had a water mite named after her as a token of gratitude to the singer for her hits such as "Ain't It Funny," ''I Luh Ya Papi" and "All I Have".