Luke J. Harmon

Luke J. Harmon is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Idaho, part of the College of Science. His research focuses on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, particularly in macroevolutionary patterns, phylogenetic comparative methods, and adaptive radiations. He earned his Ph.D. in Evolution, Ecology, and Population Biology from Washington University in 2005 and a B.S. in Zoology (summa cum laude) from Iowa State University in 1998.

His research interests span topics such as trait evolution, speciation dynamics, and the integration of ecological interactions with macroevolutionary processes. He has advised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, contributing to studies on lizard evolution, phylogenetic software development, and biodiversity patterns. Harmon leads the Harmon Lab, which develops tools like the geiger R package and Arbor for comparative analyses, and contributes to projects like OneZoom for visualizing the tree of life.

His work bridges theoretical and empirical studies, emphasizing the role of ecological opportunity and evolutionary mechanisms in shaping biodiversity. Key publications include studies on adaptive radiations, phylogenetic methods, and the evolutionary drivers of species diversification.