Reno Pitcher Gets Ancient Fossil Named After Him

A prehistoric creature that lived 215 million years ago just got named after a minor league baseball player who showed up for his fans.

Paleontologist Aamon Jaeger discovered a massive ancient salamander skull on his Arizona property last March. Instead of naming it after family like he usually does, he chose to honor Reno Aces pitcher Bryce Jarvis.

The two met at Arizona Diamondbacks spring training in 2025, where Jaeger was struck by how genuine Jarvis was with fans. The pitcher didn't just sign autographs. He truly connected with people.

"It was such a great experience," Jaeger said. "He's not only on fire for baseball, but he's active with the fans too, and what a nice individual."

The skull belongs to a Metoposaur, an ancient amphibian that stretched 6 to 7 feet long and packed about 200 teeth. Think of a salamander, but the size of an alligator.

Jaeger and his team unearth 400 to 500 different bones each season. But this discovery felt special enough to break with tradition.

His past finds have honored friends, family, and even his cat Pelé (named after the soccer legend). Based on his research, Jaeger believes this marks the first time a specific baseball player has been immortalized in paleontology.

Jarvis took the honor with humility and humor. "I'm honored that he thought of me and thought it would be a good name for it," he said. "If you can't be the biggest, you might as well be the second biggest."

Sunny's Take

Sometimes the smallest gestures create the longest-lasting impact. Jarvis didn't know that being kind to fans would earn him a spot in scientific history, but that's exactly what happened.

The pitcher recently entered Reno's top 10 for career innings pitched. Now his name will also live on in another record book, one that's been around much longer than baseball.

"The name Jarvis is going to be used quite a bit in the paleontological world for this era," Jaeger said. Scholars studying ancient species will reference the Jarvisaur for generations to come.

A few minutes of authentic connection turned into millions of years of recognition.