معرفی
Gavin Thomas is a Professor of Macroevolution at the School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, where he has held Royal Society Research Fellowships since 2015 and NERC Postdoctoral Fellowships earlier. His research explores how phylogenetic relationships among species inform patterns of biodiversity through time.
- Current affiliations: Royal Society Research Fellow, University of Sheffield
- Historical affiliations: NERC Postdoctoral Fellow (Sheffield, Bristol), Postdoctoral Associate (Imperial College London)
Thomas’s research combines macroevolutionary modeling with extensive empirical datasets, including a citizen science project analyzing bird bill shapes and a plumage evolution study. His work integrates phylogenetic trees, trait data, and biogeographic patterns to address:
- How species and traits diversify over evolutionary timescales
- The role of tempo and mode in diversification
- Impacts of climate, ecology, and social behavior on avian evolution
His recent publications focus on avian coloration, bill morphology, and functional trait divergence, with methodological contributions to phylogenetic software like PASTIS and MOTMOT. Key collaborations include the Natural History Museum and Royal Society-funded projects.
Notable scientific awards include:
- Royal Society University Research Fellowship
- Royal Society Research Fellowship
- NERC Postdoctoral Fellowships
Thomas has mentored over a dozen PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, including current students Yichen He and Emma Hughes. His lab alumni include Jen Bright (now Assistant Professor at University of South Florida) and Mark Puttick (Royal Commission 1851 Fellow).
