Nancy B. Simmons

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About

Nancy B. Simmons is a leading figure in evolutionary biology and mammalogy, renowned for her pioneering work on bat systematics, phylogenetics, and the Tree of Life. Her research integrates morphology, paleontology, and molecular data to unravel the evolutionary history of mammals, with a particular focus on Chiroptera. Among her major contributions is the exploration of crowdsourcing as a tool to accelerate the scoring of phylogenetic matrices of phenotypes—a critical yet labor-intensive step in building comprehensive evolutionary trees. Her 2017 study demonstrated that non-expert crowds can replicate the performance of scientific experts in this task, offering a scalable solution to the immense biodiversity challenge posed by millions of living and fossil species. This work has garnered over 10 citations and highlights her innovative approach to tackling grand challenges in systematic biology. Simmons’s impact extends beyond her own research; she has mentored numerous students and contributed to major biodiversity initiatives. Her dedication to making phylogenetic data more accessible and her leadership in mammalogy continue to inspire researchers tackling the vast unknowns of life’s evolutionary history.