Marcus Byrne

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Marcus Byrne
Alma mater University of the Witwatersrand
University of London
Known for Dung beetle research
winning Ig Nobel Prize
Scientific career
Fields Entomology
Zoology
Institutions University of the Witwatersrand

Professor Marcus John Byrne is a British-South African zoologist and entomologist. [1] [2] Byrne won the 2013 Ig Nobel Prize for Biology/Astronomy along withMarie Dacke, Emily Baird, Clarke Scholtz, and Eric Warrant, for discovering that when dung beetles get lost, they can navigate their way home by looking at the Milky Way. [3] [4]

Byrne is a professor emeritus of zoology and entomology at University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. [1] His research covers biocontrol of alien invasive weeds, and dung beetle behaviour and physiology. [2]

Byrne is co-author of the book Dance of the Dung Beetles and a TED talk presenter. [5] [4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Explorer Home". explorers.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Marcus J Byrne". Research Gate. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  3. ↑ Dacke, M.; Baird, E.; Byrne, M.; Scholtz, C. H.; Warrant, E. J. (2013). "Dung Beetles Use the Milky Way for Orientation". Current Biology. 23 (4): 298–300. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.12.034 . PMID   23352694.
  4. 1 2 "Marcus Byrne - entomologist". TED. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Marcus Byrne". NYU Press. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
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