David Smith was a guest scientist with the Alpha Helix Amazon Expedition of 1976, a lecturer of zoology at the University of Melbourne from 1978 to 1982, a senior guest scientist with the Swedish Natural Science Council (1983), a senior researcher with the ABC Natural History Unit from 1983 to 1985 and a producer and presenter for the Earthwatch program on ABC TV from 1986 to 1988. His other publications include Animal Tails (1988), Continent in Crisis : A Natural History of Australia (1988), Animus (1994) and Saving a Continent : Towards a Sustainable Future (1994). Smith completed a Bachelor of Science and PhD in comparative physiology at the University of Melbourne.
