Serbian scientists name new species of beetle after Novak Djokovic, the tennis legend
Serbian scientists have named a new species of beetle after Novak Djokovic, the tennis legend.
A study published in the journal ZooKeys has shown that the newly named species is the fifth species in the genus Microcosmus to have been named after the former Croatian tennis player.
The authors state that Djokovic is “a great example for a positive change in the way science is done”.
Djokovic was a successful tennis player before he turned professional and won four of his five Grand Slam titles on the clay courts at Wimbledon and the US Open.
In addition, he is the only man ever to have won all four Grand Slams in the same season – Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open and French Open.
According to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Djokovic is the most successful athlete both on a national and international level, with a total number of 11 Grand Slam titles and 16 Olympic medals.
The study was conducted by the Zoological Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which is based in Užice, in central Serbia, during 2008.
The researchers have also identified and listed the new species of the previously unknown genus Microcosmus.
Scientists have identified four new species of Microcosmus which they are naming after their inventors, one of which is the most recently named species.
The most impressive feat of this study is that all the specimens, including the holotype, were collected from Djokovic’s former and current home town Hrvatska Crkva in Novi Sad, Serbia.
The study showed that Djokovic was a good collector and that his collection had been well-preserved during the last years in his house.
The study is part of the International Year of Biodiversity, a global celebration of biological diversity which was launched by the United Nations and signed by all 193 Member States.
All the new species have a similar body shape and have a wingspan of more than one