Dr. Laurence Packer

Biography

Laurence D. Packer is a Full Professor in the Department of Biology at York University. His research laboratory focuses on wild bees, encompassing about 20,000 species divided into 500 genera, with a collection representing 95% of bee genera, likely exceeding 30% of the world's bee species from over 100 countries. Packer's work includes the description of hundreds of undescribed species, exploring aspects of ecology, behavior, population genetics, and conservation of bees, as well as active DNA barcoding efforts. His recent graduate students have undertaken revisionary studies, described new species, and investigated the biogeography of bees in diverse environments, including urban settings and the Atacama Desert. Packer's future research is expected to concentrate on bee taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, particularly emphasizing desert bees and the development of user-friendly identification keys for bees globally. He encourages students to engage in extensive fieldwork to deepen their understanding of the biology of the taxonomic group they study. Packer values a collaborative research approach, acknowledging student contributions in publications, although he will not be taking new graduate students due to impending retirement.

Research Interests

Experience