James Ashway
@jamesashway.bsky.social
Science news @nhm-london.bsky.social ✍️ | CT editor for @dwasonline.bsky.social 📝 | All views my own
In the latest entry of the series, I went behind the scenes of the fossil marine reptiles and amphibians collection! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/beh...
Fossil marine reptiles and amphibians behind the scenes at the Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum
Curator Dr Marc Jones opens up the fossil marine reptile and amphibian collection we care for.
nhm.ac.uk
It's all been a bit hectic recently, but here's a very long update about what I've been working on! First up, some updates for the NHM's dino directory, starting with Aardonyx: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/din...
Aardonyx | Natural History Museum
Explore Aardonyx, a plant-eating prosauropod dinosaur in the Dino Directory.
nhm.ac.uk
Where has March gone? It's been a busy one behind the scenes, but here are a couple of pieces from me that have come out recently. First up, I completed my marine reptile explainers by taking a deep dive into the ichthyosaurs: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wha...
What is an ichthyosaur? The real sea dragons that once swam beneath the waves | Natural History Museum
Find out what fossils have revealed about ichthyosaurs, which included the biggest marine reptile that ever lived.
nhm.ac.uk
There's a new species out in the world - and Tanyka amnicola was a pretty remarkable creature! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
New species of “living fossil” had jaws unlike anything seen before | Natural History Museum
Tanyka amnicola was a relic of an earlier and more experimental time in the evolution of life on Earth.
nhm.ac.uk
What have I been up to this week? Quite a bit, but here are the articles that have come out! First up, (hopefully) everything you wanted to know about plesiosaurs: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wha...
What is a plesiosaur? The prehistoric sea creatures that inspired the Loch Ness Monster | Natural History Museum
Find out what plesiosaur fossils have revealed about these animals, and how big they could grow.
nhm.ac.uk
Lots of things going on, but here are my articles that have come out in the past week! We'll start with the bad news - pesticide use is on the up, and so a global pledge to cut its impacts is unlikely to be hit: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Nature is under threat from rapidly rising pesticide use | Natural History Museum
An international target to slash pesticide use by 2030 is unlikely to be met.
nhm.ac.uk
Got a bit of a backlog of articles again, but here's what I've been working on recently! First up, why open a jar when you can find out what's inside using lasers? www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Contents of jars collected by Charles Darwin revealed in new scans | Natural History Museum
Almost two centuries after Charles Darwin’s pioneering voyage, his specimens are still inspiring groundbreaking new science.
nhm.ac.uk
If you’ve ever wondered what curators get up to, wonder no more! I was joined by @jamesashway.bsky.social who found out about the latest behind-the-scenes goings-on in the NHM fossil mammal collection!
Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london.bsky.social · 6mo agoIf you’ve enjoyed this quick peek into the collection, then don’t worry – there’s plenty more to discover. Find out more about what goes on in the fossil mammal collection, and what it reveals about the past 👇
The ancient sharpening tool offers an insight into the lives of our ancient relatives www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient humans made elephant bone tools in Europe half a million years ago | Natural History Museum
A prehistoric tool is reshaping our understanding of Europe’s early inhabitants.
nhm.ac.uk
Sponges are over 600 million years old - and could help reveal more about the first ever animals! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
We’ve finally discovered when sponges appeared on Earth | Natural History Museum
New research has revealed the hidden early history of the sponges.
nhm.ac.uk
A bumper catch up thread of articles from the past month or so! First up, exciting dinosaur news: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Europe’s missing ceratopsian dinosaurs have finally been found | Natural History Museum
A dinosaur named Ajkaceratops has revealed that relatives of Triceratops lived in Europe after all.
nhm.ac.uk
This was a cool one to find out about - who knew we could reconstruct the sense of smell in extinct animals? And, surprisingly, Smilodon and a mouse were probably on a par when it came to smell! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Sabre-toothed tiger’s sense of smell reconstructed using skull scans | Natural History Museum
We now know how good the sense of smell was in giant sloths, sabre-toothed tigers and other long-lost species.
nhm.ac.uk
One of my articles from last week - we need to do more to look after seaweeds! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Vital seaweed habitats aren’t being protected by ocean reserves | Natural History Museum
Some of the ocean’s most important habitats aren’t included in protected areas.
nhm.ac.uk
One I forgot to post from last week - new research has revealed what happened to Australia's apex predator after 1788 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Lifestyle of Australian dingo transformed after arrival of Europeans | Natural History Museum
The lifestyle of the dingo was dramatically altered after European colonists reached Australia in 1788.
nhm.ac.uk
The species of the famed skeleton Lucy might not be the ancestor of every hominin that followed, new fossils have suggested www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Early hominin Australopithecus afarensis may not be our human ancestor after all | Natural History Museum
New Australopithecus fossils found in Ethiopia are changing the human family tree.
nhm.ac.uk
I scratched a taxonomic itch by trying to explain as many of the different type specimens as possible in this article! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wha...
What is a type specimen? | Natural History Museum
Find out how scientists come up with a species name and what a type specimen is used for.
nhm.ac.uk
It's estimated over 95% of life in the ocean went extinct during the end-Permian mass extinction - but it might have roared back again surprisingly quickly! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Fossils of ancient marine predators have been discovered on an Arctic mountain | Natural History Museum
Life may have bounced back more quickly than expected after the worst mass extinction in history.
nhm.ac.uk
Deep inside a 400-million-year-old fossil plant was an even smaller fossil - the remains of a tiny fungus that was sharing nutrients with it! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient fossil reveals how plants and fungi first developed on land | Natural History Museum
A new fossil fungus discovered in Scotland shows evidence of plants and fungi sharing nutrients to survive on land.
nhm.ac.uk
New species alert! 🚨 Paradoxophidion richardoweni is a 37-million-year-old snake found near Christchurch - and it might reveal more about how the majority of living snakes evolved. Discover what it reveals 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
“Weird” new species of ancient fossil snake discovered in southern England | Natural History Museum
An extinct snake named Paradoxophidion richardoweni has slithered its way out of obscurity.
nhm.ac.uk
Various articles on the go at the moment, but here's a couple that have come out recently! First up, it was a pleasure to sit down with Hamza Yassin for a chat ahead of his recent TV series: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/ham...
Hamza Yassin discusses filming wildlife and inspiring the next generation | Natural History Museum
The wildlife cameraman and presenter discusses how understanding nature is crucial to his work.
nhm.ac.uk
This was fun to find out about - stinkbugs stop wasps getting to their eggs by carrying fungus around! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Stinkbugs have evolved fungus-filled leg organs to protect their eggs | Natural History Museum
The unique organ was initially thought to be used for hearing, but actually carries a fungal ally around.
nhm.ac.uk
Bit of a worrying topic to write about this week - but there are at least some signs of hope: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
We’re reaching Earth’s climate tipping points, and more are on the way | Natural History Museum
Shifts in Earth’s climate and ecosystems will have untold consequences for billions of people across the world.
nhm.ac.uk
Have gotten a bit behind on posting my articles, but here's what I've been working on recently! First up, Mesozoic South American insects stuck in amber have been found for the first time ever! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient insects trapped in amber discovered in South America for the first time | Natural History Museum
Insects that lived alongside the dinosaurs have been discovered in Ecuador.
nhm.ac.uk
Forgot to post about this last week, but an amazing new pachycephalosaur has been found! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
New dome-headed dinosaur species is the most complete pachycephalosaur ever found | Natural History Museum
Zavacephale rinpoche is the oldest and most complete pachycephalosaur ever found.
nhm.ac.uk
They're everywhere when you go to the beach, but there's a lot we don't know about seaweeds! A new review suggests that their structure, which results in their sometimes colourful patterns, could be useful for all kinds of things: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Seaweed cells could give solar panels a boost | Natural History Museum
Seaweed growing along the world’s coastlines could help to inspire new materials.
nhm.ac.uk
Its name may be a bit of a mouthful, but this new species is a landmark in our understanding of how lizards, snakes and rhyncocephalians evolved! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Newly found fossils of lizard-like animal are the oldest ever discovered | Natural History Museum
An extinct species known as Agriodontosaurus helsbypetrae has revealed new twists in the tale of lizards and their relatives.
nhm.ac.uk
Prochlorococcus is a fundamental part of life in the ocean - but it's not as heat-resistant as first thought... www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Climate change threatens major oxygen-producing bacteria | Natural History Museum
One of the world's most common microbes isn’t immune to the effect of climate change.
nhm.ac.uk
Thumbnails might seem common to us, but they're not that common in mammals as a whole! New research delved into what rodents are using theirs for 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
How thumbnails helped rodents to spread all over the world | Natural History Museum
The overlooked thumbs of rodents are key to understanding the lives of mice, rats and more.
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Last but not least from the NHM field trip to Morocco - we visited a lake which had dried up after its water dwindled away. It's a sight that could become more common around the world as a result of climate change, but there are ways to turn things around 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mor...
The Moroccan lake on the front line of the climate crisis | Natural History Museum
Lake Aoua dried up after the source of its water dwindled, but there are plans to restore the lake to its former glory.
nhm.ac.uk
Is the commercial fossil trade a help or hindrance for palaeontologists? It's a tricky issue, and every scientist has a different answer. I spoke to some of them about their views, which you can delve into here 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/din...
Dinosaur auctions: Is it right to have fossils for sale? | Natural History Museum
Discover why the commercial fossil trade isn’t simply black and white.
nhm.ac.uk