The 67,000 known species of rove beetle now have a one-of-a-kind genius to call their own, with the naming of evolutionary biologist Joseph Parker as a new MacArthur fellow.
A professor at the California Institute of Technology, Parker has been delving for years into the mysterious ways of the myriad rove beetles, including their ability to peacefully coexist with ants. The work earned him his spot as one of this year’s 22 winners of the “genius grants” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
“The tiniest, most easily overlooked of the organisms have profound secrets to tell us about our planet and how interactions between species originate,” Parker said on a video accompanying the award announcement.
In the case of the rove beetles, these uncovered secrets include a gland that produces chemicals that can, one way or another, ease their way into the ants’ company.
