Phillip Barden
(Phil Barden)
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
428B Central King Building (CKB)
About Me
I am an evolutionary biologist interested in the evolution and ecology eusocial animals. My work centers on patterns of diversity, ecological impact, and the evolution of complex behaviors in ants.
Work in my lab is comparative, meaning we collect and analyze data from multiple species to hone in on underlying processes that are broadly applicable throughout biology. Part of this work involves microscopy, imaging, and physical specimens: we use social insects and the amber fossil record as a model system for testing hypotheses related to extinction and the link between morphology and ecology. We also use molecular data to better understand the genetic consequences and foundations of eusociality through comparative genomics.
Work in my lab is comparative, meaning we collect and analyze data from multiple species to hone in on underlying processes that are broadly applicable throughout biology. Part of this work involves microscopy, imaging, and physical specimens: we use social insects and the amber fossil record as a model system for testing hypotheses related to extinction and the link between morphology and ecology. We also use molecular data to better understand the genetic consequences and foundations of eusociality through comparative genomics.
Education
Ph.D.; American Museum of Natural History: Richard Gilder Graduate School; Comparative Biology; 2015
B.S.; Arizona State University; Biology; 2009
B.S.; Arizona State University; Ecology And Evolution; 2009
B.S.; Arizona State University; Biology; 2009
B.S.; Arizona State University; Ecology And Evolution; 2009
Awards & Honors
2025 Master Teacher, New Jersey Institute of Technology
2022 Elected Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, Royal Entomological Society
2022 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, National Science Foundation
2022 Rising Star Research Award , New Jersey Institute of Technology, College of Science & Liberal Arts
2021 Excellence in Teaching Award, New Jersey Institute of Technology
2016 Snodgrass Memorial Award in Morphology, Entomology Society of America
2015 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology (PRFB), National Science Foundation
2013 Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, National Science Foundation
2012 Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), National Science Foundation
Website
2026 Fall Courses
BIOL 491 - SENIOR PROJECT
BIOL 792B - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BIOL 205 - FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL I-HONORS
BIOL 790C - DOCTORAL DISSERTN & RESRCH
BIOL 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BIOL 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790D - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790B - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790E - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BIOL 792C - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BIOL 492 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY
BIOL 792B - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BIOL 205 - FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL I-HONORS
BIOL 790C - DOCTORAL DISSERTN & RESRCH
BIOL 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BIOL 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790D - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790B - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790E - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BIOL 792C - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BIOL 492 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY
Teaching Interests
Evolutionary biology, ecology, paleontology, extinction, systematics
Past Courses
BIOL 205: FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL - HONORS
BIOL 205: FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL I
BIOL 205: FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL I - HONORS
BIOL 205: FOUNDATIONS OF BIOLOGY: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION LECTURE
BIOL 222: EVOLUTION
BIOL 320: DISCOVERING BIOL RESEARCH
BIOL 621: ECOLOGY
BIOL 622: EVOLUTION
BIOL 630: CRITICAL THINKING FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES
BIOL 698: SELECTED TOPICS IN BIOLOGY
BIOL 731: PROPOSAL PREP FOR EXTNL FUNDIN
BIOL 205: FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL I
BIOL 205: FOUND OF BIO:ECOL & EVOL I - HONORS
BIOL 205: FOUNDATIONS OF BIOLOGY: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION LECTURE
BIOL 222: EVOLUTION
BIOL 320: DISCOVERING BIOL RESEARCH
BIOL 621: ECOLOGY
BIOL 622: EVOLUTION
BIOL 630: CRITICAL THINKING FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES
BIOL 698: SELECTED TOPICS IN BIOLOGY
BIOL 731: PROPOSAL PREP FOR EXTNL FUNDIN
Research Interests
Evolutionary biology, paleontology, ecology, functional morphology, systematics, biological imaging, genomics.
Journal Article
Lacie G. Newton, John C. Abbott, Seth M. Bybee, Payton Carter, Paul B. Frandsen, Aaron Goodman, Robert Guralnick, Brittney Hahn, Jacob Idec, Vincent J. Kalkman, Manpreet Kolhi, Judicaël Fomekong-Lontchi, Pungki Lupiyaningdyah, Violet Onsongo, Emma Rowe, Melissa Sanchez-Herrera, Stefan Pinkert, Laura Sutherland, Ethan Tolman, Rhema Uche-Dike, Phillip M. Barden, Michael Belitz, Cornelio A. Bota-Sierra, Adolfo Cordero-Rivera, Alex Córdoba-Aguilar, Klaas Douwe Dijkstra, Rory A. Dow, Juliana Ehlert, Rhainer G. Ferreira, Matti Hämäläinen, Leandro Juen, M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa, Bill Mauffray, Anne L. Nielsen, Pablo Pessacq, Thai Hong Pham, Ângelo Parise Pinto, Stephen J. Richards, Ruth Salas, Jeffrey H. Skevington, Gunther Theischinger, Haomiao Zhang, Jessica L. Ware.
2026. "Soaring Systematics: An Evaluation of Biogeography and Flight Behavior in Dragonflies and Damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) Using Phylogenomics."
Systematic Biology , vol. 75 , no. 5 , pp. 984-1002.
Elyssa J.T. Loewen, Caelan Libke, Christine Sosiak, Phillip M. Barden, Christopher Somers, Ryan C. McKellar. 2026. "Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) preserved in amber shed light on faunal turnover and ecological roles before the end-Cretaceous extinction." Insect Systematics and Diversity , vol. 10 , no. 4 .
Valentine Bouju, Cédric Chény, Dietrich Gotzek, Vincent Perrichot, Fernando Fernandez, Phillip M. Barden, Gianpiero Fiorentino. 2026. "Solenopsis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) thief ants in Dominican amber and putative subfossil resin." Fossil Record , vol. 29 , no. 2 , pp. 499-517.
Gianpiero Fiorentino, Rodolfo Probst, Adrian Richter, Evan P Economo, Phillip M. Barden. 2025. "A fossil-informed pattern of body size increase and local extinction in Basiceros dirt ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Proceedings B , vol. 292 , no. 2045 , pp. 20242171.
Gianpiero Fiorentino, Sánchez, Am\'erica, Phillip M. Barden, others. 2025. "A new species of Crematogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) with contrasting coloration unique to the Caribbean." Novitates Caribaea , no. 26 , pp. 1--10.
Elyssa J.T. Loewen, Caelan Libke, Christine Sosiak, Phillip M. Barden, Christopher Somers, Ryan C. McKellar. 2026. "Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) preserved in amber shed light on faunal turnover and ecological roles before the end-Cretaceous extinction." Insect Systematics and Diversity , vol. 10 , no. 4 .
Valentine Bouju, Cédric Chény, Dietrich Gotzek, Vincent Perrichot, Fernando Fernandez, Phillip M. Barden, Gianpiero Fiorentino. 2026. "Solenopsis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) thief ants in Dominican amber and putative subfossil resin." Fossil Record , vol. 29 , no. 2 , pp. 499-517.
Gianpiero Fiorentino, Rodolfo Probst, Adrian Richter, Evan P Economo, Phillip M. Barden. 2025. "A fossil-informed pattern of body size increase and local extinction in Basiceros dirt ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Proceedings B , vol. 292 , no. 2045 , pp. 20242171.
Gianpiero Fiorentino, Sánchez, Am\'erica, Phillip M. Barden, others. 2025. "A new species of Crematogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) with contrasting coloration unique to the Caribbean." Novitates Caribaea , no. 26 , pp. 1--10.
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Other
"Honeypots: a review of repletism across the ants"
Myrmecological News, January (1st Quarter/Winter), 2026.
"Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) through space, time, and sociality: a history from amber."
2015.
Myrmecological News, January (1st Quarter/Winter), 2026.
"Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) through space, time, and sociality: a history from amber."
2015.
Chapter
Phillip M. Barden, Michael Engel.
"Fossil Social Insects."
In Starr, eds.,
Springer International,, 2020.
Professional
Frontiers in Earth Science
Editorial Review Board Member , 2021
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Editorial Review Board Member , 2021
Entomological Society of America
Chairperson , 2020
Publications Council of the Entomological Society of America
Committee Member , 2019
Public Library of Science (PLOS ONE)
Editorial Review Board Member , 2019
Journal of Insect Science
Editorial Review Board Member , 2017
Editorial Review Board Member , 2021
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Editorial Review Board Member , 2021
Entomological Society of America
Chairperson , 2020
Publications Council of the Entomological Society of America
Committee Member , 2019
Public Library of Science (PLOS ONE)
Editorial Review Board Member , 2019
Journal of Insect Science
Editorial Review Board Member , 2017