Professor Gavin Prideaux

I study links between patterns in Australian mammal evolution, ecology and extinction, and climate- and human-driven environmental changes. My students and I spend weeks in the field every year digging up old bones, often from caves, and exploring the contents of museum drawers. We work with experts in many different fields, including archaeologists, geologists and molecular biologists.

My own career started after I scraped through year 12 with the barest pass and began a BSc at Flinders in 1987. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I knew I liked science. After failing all first-year subjects except Biology, I followed the path of least resistance into second and third year, where I was introduced to evolution, palaeontology and the Australian biota. I studied kangaroo evolution for a PhD, then completed postdocs (junior research internships) at the University of California, Naracoorte Caves and Western Australian Museum, before returning in 2007 to reanimate palaeontology at Flinders following the retirement of Prof Rod Wells.

Today, Flinders Palaeontology occupies a suite of purpose-built, centrally-located labs and offices opened in 2014. We have five academic staff, eight research and technical staff, and 18 PhD and Honours students. Our dynamic, diverse, highly-interactive group leads research into deep-time evolutionary patterns and processes, and the past and potential future effects of environmental changes on biotas. We regularly make ground-breaking discoveries that attract international attention. We work very closely with other lab groups, including those at Flinders led by Vera Weisbecker and Mike Lee, and numerous groups at other universities.