John Bates

John Bates is an Adjunct Professor at the Field Museum of Natural History, serving as Staff Curator and Section Head of the Life Sciences in the Negaunee Integrative Research Center. His research focuses on evolutionary biology, genetics, and biodiversity of tropical birds, with a particular emphasis on phylogeography and phylogenetics in the Afrotropics, Neotropics, and Asian tropics. He collaborates extensively on projects involving genetic data analysis, conservation biology, and avian systematics.

Education: Ph.D. in Zoology from Louisiana State University (1993), M.S. and B.S. in Zoology from the University of Arizona (1987 and 1983).

Research interests include the genetic structure of tropical birds, co-evolutionary patterns between birds and parasites, and the impact of climate change on biodiversity. His work integrates field studies, molecular genetics, and comparative analyses to address questions about speciation, biogeography, and conservation. He has supervised numerous graduate students studying birds and other organisms across tropical regions.

Key grants include NSF Dimensions of Diversity grants and MacArthur Foundation grants, focusing on Amazonian biota and Albertine Rift ecosystems. His lab has contributed to discovering new species, such as the Camiguin Hanging-Parrot and the Albertine Rift boubou. Collaborations span institutions in the U.S., Africa, and South America.

He actively engages in conservation initiatives, advocating for scientific collecting practices and biodiversity preservation. His work bridges evolutionary research with practical conservation, emphasizing the role of museums in modern biological science.