Egbert Leigh

Egbert Giles Leigh, Jr. (born July 27, 1940, in Richmond, Virginia) is an evolutionary ecologist who spends much of his time studying tropical ecosystems.

[3] Along with studies on Barro Colorado Island, Leigh is also known for the research he has done related to the Isthmus of Panama and its historical significance on the evolution of South American species.

While in this position, Leigh was appointed by Princeton to act as a biologist for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute starting in 1969, one of the first to ever join STRI's scientific staff.

[4] Leigh's primary research interests involve evolutionary biology and, more specifically, how cooperation (within and between species) has evolved and the ways in which mutualism “enhances ecosystem productivity and its diversity”.

This work, along with countless other studies performed by Leigh and his colleagues contributed to the framework of island biogeography and provided supporting evidence to its influence on the evolution of tropical ecosystems.

[7] Leigh has been part of long-term forest and climate monitoring studies, which were implemented by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute during its formation and continue to present day.

[5] In this way, he has acted as an advisor for other scientists' projects and helped to connect all of the research into a bigger picture that depicts how tropical ecosystems change over time.

Much of Leigh's research focuses on explaining how present-day species came to be by examining how their ancestors evolved under the influential changes of geography the earth has experienced over its lifetime.

Three million years go it formed, connecting North and South America, and caused an exchange of species between the two continents known as the Great American Biotic Interchange.

Leigh's work has examined how the flora and fauna changed in Panama since the formation of the isthmus and how it influenced the tropical ecosystems of South America known today.