Robert M. Alexander

R. McNeill Alexander CBE FRS
Born	7 July 1934
Died	21 March 2016 (aged 81)

Robert McNeill (Neill) Alexander, CBE FRS (7 July 1934 – 21 March 2016) was a British zoologist and a leading authority in the field of biomechanics. Until 1970, he was mainly concerned with fish, investigating the mechanics of swim bladders, tails and fish jaw mechanisms. Subsequently, he concentrated on the mechanics of terrestrial locomotion, notably walking and running in mammals, particularly on gait selection and its relationship to anatomy and to the structural design of skeletons and muscles.

Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Alexander was educated at the University of Cambridge (MA, PhD) and the University of Wales (DSc). His PhD research was supervised by James Gray.

After holding a lectureship at University College of North Wales from 1958 to 1969, he was Professor of Zoology at the University of Leeds from 1969 until his retirement in 1999, when the title of emeritus professor was conferred upon him.

Alexander was secretary of the Zoological Society of London (1992–1999) which included supervising the management of London and Whipsnade Zoos. He was president of the Society for Experimental Biology (1995–1997), President of the International Society of Vertebrate Morphologists (1997–2001) and editor of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (1998–2004). Alexander specialised in research on animal mechanics and published numerous books and research papers in the field from 1959.

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