Another big potential #FishJob Curator of Fishes (or Mammals, but let it be ichthyology) at the American Museum of Natural History careers.amnh.org/postings/4925

New paper out today! Led by Daniel Schwarz, we retrodeformed the skull and reconstructed the cranio-mandibular musculature of the giant stem-amphibian Mastodonsaurus giganteus. Our results show that Mastodonsaurus had a powerful bite and a crocodile- like bite-and-hold feeding style.

"the intensity with which Feynman’s fan base seeks his exoneration at the bar of history is about something more commonplace, and ugly: the instinctive behavior of men protecting themselves, each other, and their reputations." thebaffler.com/outbursts/su...

Surely You’re a Creep, Mr. Feynman | Leila McNeill

#MeToo has not much altered the science professions, and it likely won’t until the culture of science is dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up.

thebaffler.com

"interesting" that returning illegally acquired fossils to where they belong is a no no, but selling a whole collection is a yes yes 🤑 www.theguardian.com/science/ng-i...

One of UK’s best fossil collections sold overseas in ‘loss to the nation’

Exclusive: Lack of funds left British museums unable to pay eight-figure sum for collection, which went to Abu Dhabi institution

theguardian.com

Excited to share our latest study highlighted on the cover of @science.org 🥳Combining a 3D dataset representing 250 taxa spanning the whole Cenozoic, 3D modelling & printing and material testing; we deciphered the form-function relationship in the lower 🦷 of mammals www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

2 PhD Opportunities! 🤩 We are recruiting two highly motivated PhD students to join an ambitious project advancing Robotic Paleontology—a rapidly emerging field that fuses paleontology, biomechanics, simulation, and robotics. nyakaturalab.com/news/ Please share!!

Nyakatura-Lab for Comparative Zoology | News

See what’s been happening in the Nyakatura Lab. News: discover our latest publications, recent events, and research highlights.

nyakaturalab.com

#FossilFriday 🦴 New paper: "Sirenian pachyostosis revisited" New method to quantify bone mass increase in sea cows (including fragments) using 3D surface models. Vertebrae are affected too, not just ribs. Open access ➡️ doi.org/10.3897/sjp.... #Palaeontology #Fossils #OpenAccess

Sirenian pachyostosis revisited

Pachyostosis, the increase in volume of bones, has been documented in a myriad of tetrapods that secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment. However, this convergent trait has hitherto only been quantified in complete ribs and long bones. This study presents a methodology designed to quantify the degree of pachyostosis in ribs and vertebrae for both complete and fragmentary skeletal elements. Using surface models, the volumes of costal and vertebral regions were measured and standardized using size proxies to devise a pachyostosis index. Sirenians are used as a case study, given the disparity in pachyostosis degrees that has already been documented in the clade, especially in their ribs. The new methodology can detect this disparity and further demonstrates that pachyostosis also affects their vertebrae. Milder cases of pachyostosis, such as in the extant Dugong dugon, are likely secondary specializations to a specific lifestyle. The craniocaudal distribution of the pachyostosis index values is also potentially helpful for further distinguishing finer lifestyle differences. This new method has the potential to clarify the causes of the disparity in pachyostosis degrees observed in the fossil record of sirenians, and it may also prove valuable in broader, non-mammalian contexts.

doi.org

Join us in Vienna! We are looking for a PhD student and a Postdoc to investigate innovation in corvids within the “Comparative ecological innovation styles” project funded by @fwf-at.bsky.social. More info: barbaraklump.com Application deadline July 24th. Please share widely!

Really excited to share that Chris Martinez & my paper on ecological, functional, & evolutionary diversity produced by novel jaw joints in fishes is out at@evojlinnsoc.bsky.social! We show how modulation of these new joints can produce a wide range of functional opportunities doi.org/10.1093/evol...

A reminder that winning a Nobel, being a Professor or whatever, does not qualify one as the know-it-all expert "treat all claims with skepticism, regardless of who makes them¨ www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/06/the-...

The Nobel Prize-winning scientists who ruined their legacies by staying alive - The Skeptic

History is replete with scientists whose brilliance won a Nobel Prize – only to tarnish their legacy by promoting quackery and pseudoscience.

skeptic.org.uk

New in @science.org ...since our first discoveries of early tetrapods, they have been thought of as "amphibians" characterized by aquatic larvae. But is this true? For the first time, we report exceptional fossils of stem tetrapod babies that upend this paradigm. 1/n www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transition

Modern amphibians are characterized by an aquatic larval stage that ends abruptly with a period of widespread tissue remodeling (metamorphosis) upon transition to terrestrial adulthood. A transient la...

science.org

Esse merece uma tradução para o português! Afinal, tem importância para a conservação das espécies do bioma menos protegido do Brasil: o Pampa! Segue o fio 👇 🎨: @funecology.bsky.social

Pedro Godoy@pedrolgodoy.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Our newest paper, led by postdoc Thayara Carrasco & published in @funecology.bsky.social, tracks functional diversity loss of land mammals during the Late Pleistocene extinctions in a grassland ecosystem 🧵 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... 🎨: @lacerdajulio.bsky.social

🚨 My last PhD chapter is out now in @jexpbiol.bsky.social 🚨 🦎 We compared the climbing abilities and kinematics of different species of salamanders. Surprisingly, all could climb well but climbing specialists do better. Let me tell why this is interesting (see thread)! doi.org/10.1242/jeb....

Genuine rewrite the textbooks discovery! 🧪🦑 The same team led last year's discovery of even deeper chemosynthetic animal communities. And they are in a crewed submersible, so they actually SAW THE WHALE GRAVEYARD!!! Can't wait for them to keep exploring!

franz@franzanth.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Finally, footage from that new whale graveyard. The fact that fossils and fresh carcasses mix together in this spot is bonkers. But of course it makes sense, because the scavengers that live down there also need a steady supply over millions of years. They can't just suddenly adapt to the deep.

Walking on your knuckles is a weird way to get around, but it's normal for chimps & gorillas. Recently, Thompson & co showed that, while the hand posture is odd, the muscle contractions required are quite similar to a monkey's, which walk on their palms doi.org/10.1242/jeb....

E-book reúne a catalogação etnoastronômica do pesquisador guarani Germano Bruno Afonso e disponibiliza imagens para uso didático em escolas jornal.usp.br/diversidade/...

Obra mapeia sistema astronômico indígena em imagens de alta resolução

E-book reúne a catalogação etnoastronômica do pesquisador guarani Germano Bruno Afonso e disponibiliza imagens para uso didático em escolas

jornal.usp.br

Very glad that our new #GRAVIBONE paper led by C. Etienne is out. It describes microanatomical adaptations in the forelimb long bones in rhinos (with high resolution scans of these large bones) & notably introduces our new approach for trabecular bone mapping. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

An exquisitely preserved young iguanodontian from the Upper Jurassic of Tanzania sheds light on skeletal fusion patterns within Archosauria onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #PapersinPalaeontology @palaeofil.bsky.social @gsferreira.bsky.social @fabiomanucci.bsky.social @morphobank.bsky.social

Check out our new paper comparing node calibrations and unresolved FBD for dating molecular phylogenies using crocs and firefly datasets as case studies 🐊

Alessio Capobianco@acapomorphic.bsky.social · 4mo ago

My new paper with @gdarlim.bsky.social and @hoehna.bsky.social is now out in Proceedings B! We set out to compare two different approaches to time-calibrate a molecular phylogeny: traditional node calibrations, and unresolved FBD... @royalsocietypublishing.org doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

Job alert: Director of Science @ Defra! Join my team in a critical science leadership role to ensure robust evidence underpins decisions on nature, climate, pollution, food & more. Apply if you enjoy solving big, complex challenges & want to make a real difference! www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/44...

We are launching the Biodiversity Futures Working Groups. The call supports small, focused synthesis groups addressing frontier questions in biodiversity science. We welcome proposals from researchers at any career stage. Deadline: 30 June 2026, 23:00 CET www.maraujolab.eu/2026/05/09/2...

2026 Announcement - Biodiversity Futures Working Groups -

At a glance Up to €10,000 in catalytic support per working group Two in-person meetings (3-5 days each) […]

maraujolab.eu

So you've heard about trilobites, but do you know Naraoids? These trilobite cousins shared similar bodies but differed in details. Most importantly, they lacked hard exoskeleton and had only soft cuticle. That's why they are known only from sites with exceptional preservation, such as Burgess Shale.

Study on archosaurs (albatross & alligator embryos) reveals complexity in nasal gland evolution. Distinct gland structures, timing & development patterns challenge traditional terminology & highlight overlooked evolutionary story Rehorek et al.: anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

🚨 Out today: our Editorial in @jvertpaleo.bsky.social on an important issue in science - the reproducibility crisis in phylogenetic analyses. In it, we analyze several years of editorial data to ask a simple question: are things improving? www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Thanks & auf Wiedersehen, Tübingen 🇩🇪! The last ~6 years at the @sgn.one and uni Tüb were great, filled with experiences and people I'll take with me. But now it's time to start a new chapter as a Vert Zool Professor at the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto. Back to 🇧🇷 here we go!

As the sole living genera of an ancient order of reptiles, tuataras are key for fossil comparisons of extinct species & modern lepidosaurs (lizards & snakes). Here, their axial skeleton is described in detail, offering new insights to this unique creature...Tuatar-ya interested? 🌍🧪👇

The axial skeleton of the tuatara (Rhynchocephalia: Sphenodon): insights on intraspecific variability, ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, and remarks on fossil taxa

Abstract. As the sole living rhynchocephalian, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) provides important comparative information for fossil rhynchocephalians an

doi.org

@paleosoc.bsky.social invites applications for its new Collections Grants program, which provides funding for members working in natural history collections to support paleontological/paleobiological curatorial and digitization projects, proposals due June 1st! paleo.memberclicks.net/the-paleonto...

AI and the PhD student: friend or foe? www.nature.com/articles/d41... “If used well, AI can certainly massively enhance PhD capabilities... But concerns about AI eroding skills are legitimate" "It gives immediate reward, but you don’t learn or improve”

AI and the PhD student: friend or foe?

Graduate students increasingly use artificial-intelligence tools to draft, code and search — but many fear it could erode the very skills a doctorate is meant to build.

nature.com

The #editorschoice for this month's issue is: Evolutionary rescue by adaptive specialization in rapidly changing environments by Jermey Draghi @virginiatech.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...

📢And here it is!! How should I publish my digital fossil? Recommendations for the publication of comprehensive 3D datasets in palaeontological studies We hope to spark further discussion on this topic and that positive changes in all the data cycle take place onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

How should I publish my digital fossil? Recommendations for the publication of comprehensive 3D datasets in palaeontological studies

Data sharing is essential to scientific progress, and 3D datasets are no exception. Sharing fosters transparency, reproducibility and confidence in the scientific and publication processes, including...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Verónica Díez Díaz, PhD@daniajinn.bsky.social · 6mo ago

What began as mere curiosity has turned into one of the papers I’m most fond of, and through which I hope to help researchers appreciate the benefits of Open Science and follow best practices when generating and sharing 3D datasets. So, stay tuned!! 🤩