How could 476 whale skeletons accumulate at the bottom of 6km ocean trench over 5 million years? Introducing the WHALE NECROPOLIS
Robert Sansom
@fossilrob.bsky.social
Palaeobiologist in Manchester | Fossils, Parenting, Animal Evolution, Fish, Phylogeny, Existential Despair, Taphonomy, and occasionally Eurovision
Our latest: Xinyuan Meng @bristolpalaeo.bsky.social describes Bataspis crux, expanding galeaspid (jawless fish) disparity with a bat-like head adapted for dynamic lift. Xinyuan's study was aided by @ferronhg.bsky.social Davide Pisani, Zhikun Gai and myself. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Did a lack of sex hold back the evolution of the first animals? To answer this question, you need some lovely Ediacaran fossils and lots of interesting maths. An x-rated double hitter for @thefossilfiles.bsky.social this week with @egmitchell.bsky.social and @tweetisaurus.bsky.social
For reasons best known only to himself, in this week's Fossil Files, @fossilrob.bsky.social chose a paper neither of us understood. There are some surprising revelations about my sex life, however. Also, slug sex facts ("facts") open.spotify.com/episode/4ikt...
Did a lack of sex hold back the evolution of the first animals?
The Fossil Files · Episode
open.spotify.com
When I was the same age as my son is now (8yo), I had only ever known one prime minister in my life time. He is now on his 6th.
Manchester is trapped in a foul smelling blanket of smoke blowing off the wildfires on the moor 😥
Happy one year anniversary to one of the most enjoyable and informative science podcasts of which I know: @thefossilfiles.bsky.social. 🥳🎉 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
The Fossil Files is one year old: The best bits so far
Podcast Episode · The Fossil Files · June 16 · 34m
podcasts.apple.com
In this week's #FossilFiles podcast, we FINALLY discuss Prototaxites, the giant phallic Devonian life-form that might be a totally unknown branch of the tree of life. This is one of the coolest papers we've ever done. Listen here or wherever you get your pods: fossils.libsyn.com/the-mysterio...
fossils.libsyn.com
What the hell was Prototaxites?
@thefossilfiles.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe mossy forests of the Devonian were towered over by mysterious 8m tall giants, Prototaxites. But what were these weirdos? New research suggests it not a plant, not a fungus, not an animal, but some other previously unknown form of life
📣 10 days left to register for our workshop: Bridging Stratigraphic Palaeobiology and Phylogenetics Questions? Reach out to any of the organisers: @rachelwarnock.bsky.social @niklashohmann.bsky.social More information and registration 👉 www.lorentzcenter.nl/site/index.p...
Getting scooped three times in one month on two research different projects is quite a lot
Michael Cera Sad in Arrested Development
ALT: Michael Cera Sad in Arrested Development
static.klipy.com
The concept of extinction was regarded as impossible until the late 18th century. Join Professor Sadiah Qureshi on 28 May as she explores extinction's unnatural history and how we can generate hope and secure justice for all life on earth. https://bit.ly/4tL3JmR
Job Alert! I am recruiting a postdoc (and soon a lab tech) to study the functional morphology and biomechanics of walking-like behaviors in fishes at the University of Virginia. Details at: jobs.virginia.edu/us/en/job/R0.... Ads for postdoc+lab tech on salamander locomotion grant coming soon! 🧪🐟🦎
Research Associate in Biology in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America | Research at University of Virginia
Apply for Research Associate in Biology job with University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America. Research at University of Virginia
jobs.virginia.edu
Tortoises! Live cuttlefish! Pleistocene fossils! Sea grass! Vultures! Our first ecology and palaeontology undergrad field course to Mallorca is off to a strong start
Really enjoyed this one. Sometimes I feel a bit mean poking fun at papers, but when they are this bonkers…
@thefossilfiles.bsky.social · 4mo agoWhen did mammoths go extinct? Did they sneeze themselves to death as a result of allergies? We take a look at some 'massive' fossil fails in the latest episode: Weird ideas about how and when mammoths were "snuffed out"
A sneak peak of us sniggering about mammoths sneezing themselves to death 🦣🤧☠️
Of course the first thing I googled when I left the screening of Project Hail Mary was the unbalanced centrifuge and finding a deluge of enraged lab rats in the comments…
Come join us! We're recruiting 3 new academic posts in the School of Biology, University of Leeds, closing 23/04/26. Assoc Prof Plant Science tinyurl.com/4x48jc78 Assoc Prof Animal Biology tinyurl.com/2s4sk85s Lecturer in Ecology, Zoology, Biodiversity or Ecosystem Management: tinyurl.com/39dwp47j
PDRA positions at Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (York, UK) These include four that I am involved with: beta diversity change ecosystem metrics ecological monitoring & Indigenous and local knowledge food system dynamics & biodiversity sites.google.com/york.ac.uk/l...
LCAB Postdoctoral recruitment
The Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (LCAB) is a major research centre funded by the Leverhulme Trust to increase knowledge of how the relationship between humanity and the natural worl...
sites.google.com
How do you become a palaeontologist? @tweetisaurus.bsky.social and @fossilrob.bsky.social chat about their own routes and their advice for aspiring fossil fans
Postdoc in Macroevolution - Deadline April 12th - Join a team of Stuttgart botanists & myself to test drivers of Angiosperm diversification! Fully open process Submit cover letter, CV, 3 referees & publication list in a single PDF to postdoc-botany@smns-bw.de + 3 key papers (if possible) as PDF
Jobs | Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart
Offene Stellen
naturkundemuseum-bw.de
‼️🚨 Job Alert ‼️ 🚨 Two Post Doc Opportunities: PDRA in Macroecology / Paleobiology my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... PDRA in Extinction & Conservation / Paleobiology my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... Any questions, please get in touch! Closing date May 1st.
Job Details
my.corehr.com
In which Susie and I try not to giggle about fossil butt holes and silly looking dinosaurs
@thefossilfiles.bsky.social · 4mo agoJaw dropping fossil integument news: this new Iguanodontian was rather improbably covered in porcupine-like spines and this Permian trace fossil captures the earliest known cloaca
JOB CLAXON: Imaging Assistant @nhm-london.bsky.social . Permanent role. Would be good for someone with CT experience! jobs.nhm.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Imaging Assistant:South Kensington
jobs.nhm.ac.uk
When I am awoken by the kids on when the clocks have gone forward:
Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes@lemoustier.bsky.social · 5mo ago🧪 #FossilFriday Mummified baboon, Namibian cave, prob lost beyond the roosting chamber. Re: taphonomy of Homo #Naledi, this baboon was +70m in, via small tunnels, and despite humid cave it formed in arid ledge microclimate. as did a 2nd one, in <5 yrs. digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcont...
If you are looking for an example of best-practice in abstract-writing, this is a good starting point
Statistically significant chuckles: who is using humour at scientific conferences?
Abstract. We’ve all been there: 11.47, swamped by a long stretch of dense scientific talks at a conference. Six slides into a hyper-technical presentation,
doi.org
We are recruiting ! ... the second PhD position available with us at University of Manchester: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
MicroRNA evolution and the genetic basis of placental phenotypic diversity across mammals at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - MicroRNA evolution and the genetic basis of placental phenotypic diversity across mammals at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com