William Amos

Professor William Amos serves as Professor of Evolutionary Genetics in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, where he is an active member of the Molecular Ecology Group. His research spans theoretical population genetics and applied conservation biology, with significant contributions to understanding mutation rate evolution and human evolutionary history.

Amos specializes in genetic marker analysis for elucidating population structure and breeding behavior, originally in marine mammals. He pioneered the hypothesis that heterozygous sites attract additional mutations, linking evolutionary rates to population size. His controversial work challenges mainstream views on Neanderthal introgression in modern humans, arguing for near-zero legacies. Current field studies include genetic analysis of invasive American mink in East Anglia for conservation strategies and long-term research on porcini mushroom (Boletus edulis) evolution using a 4,000+ sample database.

His 2013 BMC Genetics publication introduced novel methods for detecting climate-linked selection in human genomes. Amos actively disseminates his Neanderthal research through seminars like his UCL Zoom presentation, emphasizing rigorous statistical challenges to established evolutionary models.

Professor Amos accepts PhD students and leads conservation-focused projects, including mink eradication efforts to protect endangered water voles and kingfishers. His work integrates molecular ecology with practical wildlife management, demonstrating direct application of evolutionary theory to biodiversity crises.

As a core member of Cambridge's Molecular Ecology Group, he collaborates on interdisciplinary projects spanning microbial to vertebrate systems, maintaining strong field research components alongside computational genomic analyses.