Professor Chris D. Thomas is a distinguished leader in ecological science and biodiversity conservation at the forefront of understanding humanity's impact on Earth's biological systems. He currently serves as Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of York and Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, a £10 million transdisciplinary research center established in 2019. His academic foundation includes a BA in Applied Biology from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Ecology from Bangor University, and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2012, Professor Thomas has established himself as one of the United Kingdom's most influential environmental scientists through his pioneering research on biodiversity dynamics in the human-dominated era.
Thomas's groundbreaking research explores the complex interplay between climate change, habitat fragmentation, species invasions, and conservation strategies in the Anthropocene epoch. His work has fundamentally shifted conservation paradigms by demonstrating that traditional approaches focused on preserving historical ecosystems are insufficient during periods of rapid environmental change, instead advocating for dynamic conservation strategies that facilitate species movement and adaptation. His influential 2017 book Inheritors of the Earth How Nature Is Thriving in an Age of Extinction challenged conventional extinction narratives by documenting how many species are adapting and even thriving in human-altered landscapes, earning recognition as a Times Economist and Guardian Book of the Year. Thomas has developed innovative methodologies for assessing both biodiversity losses and gains in the Anthropocene, significantly influencing conservation policy development worldwide with his research on the ecological and evolutionary rules underpinning biological diversity changes.
As Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, Thomas leads a major transdisciplinary initiative examining how humans have transformed the biological world and how we might protect remaining biodiversity while acknowledging contemporary ecological realities. His research group currently investigates Anthropocene evolution, evaluating how rapidly species can adapt to new environmental conditions through both ecological and evolutionary processes. Thomas actively shapes conservation discourse through his teaching on the Anthropocene, emphasizing critical assessment of information and consideration of how biological knowledge impacts real-world conservation decisions beyond academia. His ongoing work continues to influence global conservation strategies by providing evidence-based approaches to navigating biodiversity challenges in an era of unprecedented environmental change.
