▁Leben ▁der ▁Rh in og rad ent ia ▁( trans l ated ▁into ▁English ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁as ▁The ▁Sn ou ters : ▁Form ▁and ▁Life ▁of ▁the ▁Rh in og r ades ). ▁According ▁to ▁Ste iner , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁remaining ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁animals , ▁which ▁were ▁w ip ed ▁out , ▁along ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁world ' s ▁Rh in og rad ent ia ▁research ers , ▁when ▁the ▁small ▁Pacific ▁arch ip el ago ▁they ▁inhab ited ▁s ank ▁into ▁the ▁ocean ▁due ▁to ▁nearby ▁atomic ▁bomb ▁testing . ▁ ▁Success fully ▁m im ick ing ▁a ▁genu ine ▁scientific ▁work , ▁Rh in og rad ent ia ▁has ▁appeared ▁in ▁several ▁publications ▁without ▁any ▁note ▁of ▁its ▁fict it ious ▁nature , ▁sometimes ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁April ▁F ools ' ▁Day . ▁ ▁Background ▁Rh in og rad ent ia , ▁their ▁island ▁home ▁of ▁Hy - yi - yi , ▁zo ologist ▁Har ald ▁St ü mp ke , ▁and ▁a ▁host ▁of ▁other ▁people , ▁places , ▁and ▁documents ▁are ▁fict ional ▁cre ations ▁of ▁Ger olf ▁Ste iner ▁( 1 9 0 8 – 2 0 0 9 ), ▁a ▁German ▁zo ologist . ▁Ste iner ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁fict ional ▁work ▁as ▁St ü mp ke , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁accomplished ▁zo ologist ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁right . ▁He ▁held ▁a ▁professor ship ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Heidel berg ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁Techn ical ▁University ▁of