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Richard E. Lenski
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Ecology and Evolution
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
118
Citations
52756
World Ranking
110
National Ranking
44

Richard E. Lenski publication distribution in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Richard E. Lenski sits on this spectrum.

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37 publications 531+

This scientist: 307 publications — 92nd percentile

92% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 531 publications or more.

Richard E. Lenski D-index placement in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Ecology and Evolution scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Richard E. Lenski sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 95 scientists 31 D-Index: 123 scientists 32 D-Index: 191 scientists 33 D-Index: 245 scientists 34 D-Index: 252 scientists 35 D-Index: 244 scientists 36 D-Index: 249 scientists 37 D-Index: 244 scientists 38 D-Index: 254 scientists 39 D-Index: 254 scientists 40 D-Index: 280 scientists 41 D-Index: 274 scientists 42 D-Index: 266 scientists 43 D-Index: 233 scientists 44 D-Index: 248 scientists 45 D-Index: 208 scientists 46 D-Index: 201 scientists 47 D-Index: 213 scientists 48 D-Index: 207 scientists 49 D-Index: 172 scientists 50 D-Index: 209 scientists 51 D-Index: 199 scientists 52 D-Index: 153 scientists 53 D-Index: 169 scientists 54 D-Index: 163 scientists 55 D-Index: 148 scientists 56 D-Index: 120 scientists 57 D-Index: 146 scientists 58 D-Index: 137 scientists 59 D-Index: 140 scientists 60 D-Index: 104 scientists 61 D-Index: 119 scientists 62 D-Index: 118 scientists 63 D-Index: 99 scientists 64 D-Index: 77 scientists 65 D-Index: 100 scientists 66 D-Index: 86 scientists 67 D-Index: 83 scientists 68 D-Index: 75 scientists 69 D-Index: 94 scientists 70 D-Index: 57 scientists 71 D-Index: 68 scientists 72 D-Index: 59 scientists 73 D-Index: 63 scientists 74 D-Index: 66 scientists 75 D-Index: 60 scientists 76 D-Index: 42 scientists 77 D-Index: 49 scientists 78 D-Index: 39 scientists 79 D-Index: 37 scientists 80 D-Index: 43 scientists 81 D-Index: 41 scientists 82 D-Index: 45 scientists 83 D-Index: 34 scientists 84 D-Index: 40 scientists 85 D-Index: 35 scientists 86 D-Index: 55 scientists 87 D-Index: 24 scientists 88 D-Index: 24 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 23 scientists 91 D-Index: 25 scientists 92 D-Index: 27 scientists 93 D-Index: 27 scientists 94 D-Index: 13 scientists 95 D-Index: 23 scientists 96 D-Index: 12 scientists 97 D-Index: 14 scientists 98 D-Index: 19 scientists 99 D-Index: 16 scientists 100 D-Index: 14 scientists 101 D-Index: 5 scientists 102 D-Index: 21 scientists 103 D-Index: 16 scientists 104 D-Index: 10 scientists 105 D-Index: 7 scientists 106 D-Index: 7 scientists 107 D-Index: 7 scientists 108 D-Index: 6 scientists 109 D-Index: 9 scientists 110 D-Index: 11 scientists 111 D-Index: 12 scientists 112 D-Index: 9 scientists 113 D-Index: 7 scientists 114 D-Index: 3 scientists 115 D-Index: 8 scientists 116 D-Index: 5 scientists 117 D-Index: 11 scientists 118 D-Index: 4 scientists 119 D-Index: 2 scientists 120 D-Index: 5 scientists 121+ D-Index: 100 scientists
30 D-Index 121+

This scientist: 118 D-Index — 99th percentile

99% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 121 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in United States Leader Award
  • 2020 - ASM D.C. White Award, American Society for Microbiology
  • 2012 - Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA)
  • 2006 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2003 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 1998 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1996 - Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation
  • 1991 - Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Overview

Richard E. Lenski is affiliated with Michigan State University in the United States. Their research focuses broadly within the field of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with specific attention to Genetics and Molecular Biology, alongside interests in Sociology and Political Science, Ecology, and Pharmacology.

Lenski's main research topics encompass Evolution and Genetic Dynamics, Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation, Genetic Diversity and Population Structure, Pharmacogenetics and Drug Metabolism, Gene Regulatory Network Analysis, CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, and Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies.

They have published extensively, contributing significantly to various academic venues. Frequent publication venues include:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Microbiology
  • Science
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Among recent papers authored or coauthored by Lenski are:

  • "The Surprising Creativity of Digital Evolution: A Collection of Anecdotes from the Evolutionary Computation and Artificial Life Research Communities" (2020, Artificial Life)
  • "Insertion-sequence-mediated mutations both promote and constrain evolvability during a long-term experiment with bacteria" (2021, Nature Communications)
  • "Genomic evolution of antibiotic resistance is contingent on genetic background following a long-term experiment with Escherichia coli" (2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
  • "Changes in Cell Size and Shape during 50,000 Generations of Experimental Evolution with Escherichia coli" (2021, Journal of Bacteriology)
  • "Changing fitness effects of mutations through long-term bacterial evolution" (2024, Science)

Lenski has collaborated frequently with several researchers, including:

  • Jeffrey E. Barrick
  • Kyle J. Card
  • Nkrumah A. Grant
  • Olivier Tenaillon
  • Luis Zaman

In addition to their journal publications, Lenski has contributed to book publications, including a work published by Springer Nature titled Evolution in Action: Past, Present and Future (2020).

Lenski's academic recognitions include several fellowships and membership of distinguished scientific societies, such as:

  • ASM D.C. White Award, American Society for Microbiology (2020)
  • Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) (2012)
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2006)
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2003)
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1998)
  • Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation (1996)
  • Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1991)

Best Publications

  • Long-term experimental evolution in Escherichia coli. I. Adaptation and divergence during 2,000 generations.

    Richard E. Lenski;Michael R. Rose;Suzanne C. Simpson;Scott C. Tadler

  • Evolution experiments with microorganisms: the dynamics and genetic bases of adaptation.

    Santiago F. Elena;Richard E. Lenski

  • Genome evolution and adaptation in a long-term experiment with Escherichia coli

    Jeffrey E. Barrick;Dong Su Yu;Dong Su Yu;Sung Ho Yoon;Haeyoung Jeong

  • Dynamics of adaptation and diversification: a 10,000-generation experiment with bacterial populations

    Richard E. Lenski;Michael Travisano

  • The Black Queen Hypothesis: Evolution of Dependencies through Adaptive Gene Loss

    J. Jeffrey Morris;Richard E. Lenski;Erik R. Zinser

  • The fate of competing beneficial mutations in an asexual population

    Philip J. Gerrish;Richard E. Lenski

  • Does evolutionary theory need a rethink

    Kevin Laland;Tobias Uller;Marc Feldman;Kim Sterelny

  • Evolution of high mutation rates in experimental populations of E. coli

    Paul D. Sniegowski;Philip J. Gerrish;Richard E. Lenski

  • Historical contingency and the evolution of a key innovation in an experimental population of Escherichia coli

    Zachary D. Blount;Christina Z. Borland;Richard E. Lenski

  • Adaptive evolution of highly mutable loci in pathogenic bacteria.

    E.Richard Moxon;Paul B. Rainey;Martin A. Nowak;Richard E. Lenski

  • The evolutionary origin of complex features

    Richard E. Lenski;Charles Ofria;Robert T. Pennock;Christoph Adami

  • The Planned Introduction of Genetically Engineered Organisms: Ecological Considerations and Recommendations

    James M. Tiedje;Robert K. Colwell;Yaffa L. Grossman;Robert E. Hodson

  • The dynamics of molecular evolution over 60,000 generations

    Benjamin H. Good;Michael J. McDonald;Michael J. McDonald;Jeffrey E. Barrick;Richard E. Lenski

  • Evolution of digital organisms at high mutation rates leads to survival of the flattest

    Claus O. Wilke;Jia Lan Wang;Charles Ofria;Richard E. Lenski

  • Genome dynamics during experimental evolution.

    Jeffrey E. Barrick;Richard E. Lenski

  • Genomic analysis of a key innovation in an experimental Escherichia coli population.

    Zachary D. Blount;Jeffrey E. Barrick;Carla J. Davidson;Richard E. Lenski

  • Negative epistasis between beneficial mutations in an evolving bacterial population.

    Aisha I. Khan;Duy M. Dinh;Dominique Schneider;Dominique Schneider;Richard E. Lenski

  • Long-term dynamics of adaptation in asexual populations.

    Michael J. Wiser;Noah Ribeck;Richard E. Lenski

  • Linking genetic change to community evolution: insights from studies of bacteria and bacteriophage

    Brendan J M Bohannan;Richard E. Lenski

  • The population genetics of ecological specialization in evolving Escherichia coli populations

    Vaughn S. Cooper;Richard E. Lenski

Frequent Co-Authors

Jeffrey E. Barrick
Jeffrey E. Barrick The University of Texas at Austin
Jonathan B. Losos
Jonathan B. Losos Washington University in St. Louis
Charles Ofria
Charles Ofria Michigan State University
Albert F. Bennett
Albert F. Bennett University of California, Irvine
Santiago F. Elena
Santiago F. Elena Santa Fe Institute
Olivier Tenaillon
Olivier Tenaillon Université Paris Cité
Claus O. Wilke
Claus O. Wilke The University of Texas at Austin
Michael Travisano
Michael Travisano University of Minnesota
Margaret A. Riley
Margaret A. Riley University of Massachusetts Amherst
Claudine Médigue
Claudine Médigue University of Paris-Saclay

External Links

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Exploring these online degrees can help ecology and evolution graduates broaden their expertise and discover new career directions in science, health, and public service.

Best Scientists Citing Richard E. Lenski

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