Tim Flannery | Biography & Facts

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<div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tim-Flannery">Tim Flannery</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <span class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tim-Flannery/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Tim-Flannery">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tim-Flannery/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/21/196221-050-D15C065F/Tim-Flannery.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1376985/226033" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/21/196221-004-DE452289/Tim-Flannery.jpg" alt="Flannery, Tim" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button 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Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/quiz/faces-of-science" >Faces of Science</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-questions"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 pb-0 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-15"> Related Questions </div> <ul> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/Why-is-biology-important">Why is biology important?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-are-the-basic-functional-systems-of-animals">What are the basic functional systems of animals?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/How-does-global-warming-work">How does global warming work?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/Where-does-global-warming-occur-in-the-atmosphere">Where does 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/tim-flannery" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Australian Museum - Biography of Tim Flannery</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Tim-Flannery/442472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Flannery - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 d-none mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10 px-sm-5 px-md-10 js-header-ai-ask-button"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Timothy Fridtjof Flannery</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/David-C-Hayes/6502" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">David C. Hayes</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Freelance Science Editor, Encyclopædia Britannica.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> David C. Hayes</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-01-24T00:00:00CST" >Jan 24, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tim-Flannery/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Byname of: </dt> <dd>Timothy Fridtjof Flannery</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>January 28, 1956, <a href="/place/Melbourne">Melbourne</a>, <a href="/place/Victoria-state-Australia">Victoria</a>, <a href="/place/Australia">Australia</a> (age 69)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Notable Works: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Future-Eaters-An-Ecological-History-of-Australasian-Lands-and-People">“The Future Eaters: An Ecological History of Australasian Lands and People”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Weather-Makers-The-History-and-Future-Impact-of-Climate-Change">“The Weather Makers: The History & Future Impact of Climate Change”</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Subjects Of Study: </dt> <dd><a href="/place/Australasia">Australasia</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/global-warming">global warming</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Tim-Flannery"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1000913"></span>Tim Flannery</strong> (born January 28, 1956, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Melbourne" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Melbourne</a>, Victoria, Australia) is an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Australia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Australian</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zoology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">zoologist</a> and outspoken <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/environmentalism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">environmentalist</a> who was named Australian of the Year in 2007 in recognition of his role as an effective communicator in explaining environmental issues and in bringing them to the attention of the Australian public.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mass-Extinction-2117803" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read E.O. Wilson’s Britannica essay on mass extinction.)</a></em></p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Flannery received a B.A. in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">English literature</a> from La Trobe University, Melbourne, and he pursued <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="postgraduate" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/postgraduate" data-type="EB">postgraduate</a> studies in geology before changing his focus to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zoology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">zoology</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/paleontology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">paleontology</a>. He earned an M.Sc. (1981) from Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, and a Ph.D. (1985) from the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Flannery’s doctoral studies involved the evolution of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/kangaroo" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">kangaroos</a> and related animals, and in 1985 he took part in the first discovery of Australian mammal fossils from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Cretaceous-Period" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cretaceous Period</a>, which were more than 80 million years older than previously known specimens. From 1984 to 1999 Flannery was the principal research scientist in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/mammalogy" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mammalogy</a> at the <span id="ref1266458"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Australian-Museum" class="md-crosslink ">Australian Museum</a> in Sydney. During this period he explored remote areas of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Papua-New-Guinea" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Papua New Guinea</a>, and over the course of many <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="expeditions" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/expeditions" data-type="EB">expeditions</a> he discovered 16 species and many subspecies of mammals, including 2 species and 2 subspecies of tree <span id="ref1007916"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/kangaroo" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">kangaroos</a>. His <em><span id="ref1007917"></span>Chasing Kangaroos</em> (2004) was an engaging collection of stories chronicling the history of the kangaroo and related species.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/faces-of-science" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/144788-131-ADACA20E/Michael-Faraday-John-Frederic-Daniell.jpg" alt="Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Faces of Science</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Flannery wrote the first scientific reference on the mammals of the region, and he provided a popular account of his experiences in <em>Throwim Way Leg</em> (1997). His best-selling <em><span id="ref1007918"></span>The Future Eaters: An Ecological History of Australasian Lands and People</em> (1994) described how Australians had been using up their ecological resources to the detriment of their future. Seeing these resources as relatively limited, Flannery became a strong proponent of population control. In 1998–99 he was the visiting professor of Australian studies at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Harvard-University" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Harvard University</a>, and in 1999–2006 he served as the director of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In numerous radio and television appearances, Flannery identified the threat of <span id="ref1007919"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/global-warming" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">global warming</a>. With his international <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/best-seller" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">best seller</a> <em><span id="ref1007920"></span>The Weather Makers: The History & Future Impact of Climate Change</em> (2005), Flannery became the most prominent of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Australia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Australia’s</a> scientists arguing for measures to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. (A companion volume, <em>We Are the Weather Makers</em> [2006], was written for younger readers.) The book clearly spelled out a catastrophic vision if current trends in rising levels of atmospheric <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-dioxide" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">carbon dioxide</a> continue but argued that forceful action could avert a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="calamity" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamity" data-type="MW">calamity</a>. Flannery was highly critical of Australian energy policies, and some of his positions on global warming were controversial, including his insistence that <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclear-energy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">nuclear energy</a> be considered as an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="alternative" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternative" data-type="MW">alternative</a> to coal-fired power plants in populous areas without renewable sources of energy.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2007–13 Flannery was on the faculty at <span id="ref1266459"></span>Macquarie University in Sydney. Among many other affiliations, he was a member of the Australian Academy of Science and of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, which reported on Australian environmental issues. His later books included <em>Here on Earth</em> (2010) and <em>Atmosphere of Hope</em> (2015).</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/David-C-Hayes/6502">David C. 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Tim Flannery | Biography & Facts | Britannica