Clive Finlayson

Clive Finlayson
Born	(1955-01-15) 15 January 1955 Gibraltar
Nationality	British
Citizenship	Gibraltarian
Alma mater	University of Liverpool Oriel College, Oxford Leicester University
Known for	Director of the Gibraltar Museum Publications on Neanderthals and ornithology
Spouse	Dr. Geraldine Finlayson
Awards	1976, Recipient of the first David Lack Studentship awarded by the British Ornithologists' Union 1990, Fellow of the Linnean Society of London 2003, Made MBE
Scientific career
Fields	Anthropology Zoology
Institutions	Gibraltar Museum

Prof. Clive Finlayson MBE (b. 15 January 1955) is a Gibraltarian zoologist and palaeontologist. He is the incumbent Director of the Gibraltar Museum. An authority on Neanderthals, Prof. Finlayson has published various works mainly based on his research which includes ongoing excavations at Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar, the last known site of the Neanderthals.

Education

Born in Gibraltar on 15 January 1955. (His elder brother is Tommy Finlayson). The Finlaysons are of Scottish descent, but they have been on The Rock since the early 19th century. Clive Finlayson was educated at the Gibraltar Grammar School. He completed a BSc Special Honours degree in Zoology at the University of Liverpool in 1976. In 1980 he graduated with a Doctorate of Philosophy (DPhil) from Oriel College, Oxford and later went on to obtain a MSc in Museum Studies from Leicester University.

Career

Shortly after graduating from his degree, Finlayson became increasingly active within local natural and cultural heritage circles. He founded the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) in 1978, an organisation which he chaired until 1992. He was also a trustee of the Gibraltar Heritage Trust from 1987 to 1989.

Having been the Managing Director of the Gibraltar Tourism Agency, he took up the position of Director of the Gibraltar Museum in 1991 which he holds to date (June 2012) and is also the Director of the Gibraltar Culture and Heritage Agency's Heritage Division.

In 2001 Finlayson was appointed to the staff of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. He was made MBE in the 2003 New Year Honours.

His various publications include literature on the Neanderthals and Modern Humans as well as on ornithology and his research programme includes ongoing excavations at Gorham's Cave, the last known site of the Neanderthals, as part of the Gibraltar Caves Project. Finlayson's 2009 book on Neanderthals and their interaction with homo sapiens expands on the idea that we were the same species as modern man contains genetic sequences that are shared with neanderthals and the possibility of interbreeding is likely. However Finlayson discusses that because these shared genetic sequences are common across the globe then it is possible that these shared genes are due to our common heritage in Africa.

Along with his many varied roles, he also acts as a consultant to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris.

Fellowships and awards

• 1976, Recipient of the first David Lack Studentship awarded by the British Ornithologists' Union.
• 1990, Fellow of the Linnean Society of London.
• 2003, Awarded MBE in Her Majesty's The Queen's New Year Honours.

Publications

Authored

• Finlayson, Clive (2011). Avian Survivors: Climate Change and the History of the Birds of the Western Palearctic. T. & A. D. Poyser. p. 320. ISBN 0713688653.
• Finlayson, Clive (2010). Birds of the Strait of Gibraltar. Poyser. p. 560. ISBN 1408136953.
• Finlayson, Clive (2009). The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died Out and We Survived. United States of America: Oxford University Press. p. 256. ISBN 0199239193.
• Finlayson, Clive (2009). Neanderthals and Modern Humans: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective. Cambridge University PressF. p. 268. ISBN 0521121000.
• Finlayson, Clive (2007). Books Al-Andalus. Santana Books. p. 340. ISBN 8489954690. {{cite book}}: Check |url= value (help)
• Finlayson, Clive (1993). Prion Birdwatchers' Guide to Southern Spain and Gibraltar. Prion. p. 89. ISBN 1871104033.

Co-authored

• Finlayson, Clive; Giles Pacheco, Francisco; Rodriguez Vidal, Joaquín (2012). Where the Last Neanderthals Lived: A Study of Neanderthal and Modern Human Behavioural Ecology in a Glacial Refugium. Oxbow Books. p. 256. ISBN 1842172654.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Finlayson, Clive; Fa, Darren (2006). The Fortifications of Gibraltar 1068–1945. Osprey Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 1846030161.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Finlayson, Clive; Tomlinson, Dave (2006). Birds of Iberia. BookLink Distribution. p. 217. ISBN 848995428320. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Finlayson, Clive & Geraldine (1999). Gibraltar at the end of the Millennium: A Portrait of a Changing Land. Gibraltar: Aquila Services.
• Finlayson, Clive; Cortes, John E. (1988). The Flowers and Wildlife of Gibraltar. Ashford,Buchan & Enright. p. 48. ISBN 0948466073.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)