John is an environmental paleoecologist and studies environmental change and the effects of climate and ecological change on the evolution of organisms, including humans. He has broad research interests in understanding the nature, timing and
location of ice age species’ distributions and works with ancient DNA scientists looking at how organisms respond to past climate and environmental change.
He has also been involved in studies around why Neanderthals went extinct and how they were adapted to their environment. This includes their use of sprinting during hunting in woodland, explaining their muscular body form.
John is an expert in the recent fossil record of birds, and has a significant excavation track record
specifically dealing with larger animals such as whales, elephants, rhinos and hippos.
John has extensive media experience including national radio interviews, and national and international print interviews.