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Allan McDevitt

Allan McDevitt

@shrewgod.bsky.social

610 followers 340 following 70 posts

Lecturer in ATU 🇮🇪 Shrews are my thing but work on all sorts of critters across land and water! Molecular ecologist by trade, doing a lot of eDNA work these days! Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/mcdevittlab/home .. more

Environmental science 47%

Biology 30%

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Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social · Oct 8

1st PhD chapter from @jjackman27.bsky.social on comparing #eDNA filtration methods in a hyper-tidal estuary. Although some methods outperform others, all are generally effective in recovering fish biodiversity, including the passive metaprobe. Paper here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Leocadio Blanco-Bercial @blancobercial.bsky.social · 1d

Our last product of the SCOR WG157 MetaZooGene if out! We run a 10-laboratory intercomparison experiment on for zooplankton metabarcoding. Take home: major patterns hold, but sequencing platform matters, taq matters (a lot), add positive/negative controls...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

MetaZooGene Intercalibration Experiment (MZG‐ICE): Metabarcoding Marine Zooplankton Diversity of the Global Ocean

DNA metabarcoding of zooplankton biodiversity is used increasingly for monitoring global ocean ecosystems, requiring comparable data from different research laboratories and ocean regions. The MetaZo...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

Dr.Kat Stewart @ecoevoedna.bsky.social · 7d

🔥 Hot off the press: ever wonder if you could get demographic info for natural pops with #eDNA #environmentalDNA? Well wonder no more! First proof of principle for sex-ratios coming to a computer screen near you: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Unlocking Demography: Developing an eDNA‐Based Toolkit to Measure Sex Ratios From Populations

Demographic information, such as sex ratios, is essential for understanding population dynamics and informing conservation strategies. Yet obtaining sex ratios in natural populations can be challengi....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Brian Hayden @drhaydo.bsky.social · 25d

5 things you’ll learn in my new Stable Isotope Ecology courses:

• Isotope foundations
• Study design
• Food webs
• Mixing models
• R workflows

👉 www.atomicecology.com/courses 👉

Stable Isotope Data Analysis Through R - Training from Atomic Ecology

A revised and improved version of my wildly successful stable isotope data analysis course is now available through Atomic Ecology. In this course I teach you how…

Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social · 26d

They are, and always will be, the coolest mammals...

Dávalos Lab @labdavalos.bsky.social · 26d

🧪New #shrewcrew #OA @genomeresearch.bsky.social 📃shows how tiny shrews remain active in ❄️❄️! As it gets 🥶tiny mammals hibernate or migrate, but not shrews. They shrink, thus reducing their overall⚡️demand 👉🏽 genome.cshlp.org/content/earl... 1/4

Summary of dynamic changes in shrew metabolism associated with seasonal size change, with proposed regulation of Dehnel’s cycle. Depleted lipid metabolites in the blood and increased RNA expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism indicate rapid fat turnover in winter juveniles. FOXO signaling regulates gluconeogenesis, also upregulated in winter juveniles, providing another energy source. Both FOXO signaling and fatty acid metabolism promote changes in oxidative phosphorylation, as was found in both the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, and have large effects on mitochondrial respiration in the liver.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Gareth Jones @jonesgareth.bsky.social · 26d

Our new paper in PNAS, led by Megan Power: a large-scale study of telomere shortening in relation to reproductive costs in bats. Photo of one of the greater horseshoe bats we studied at Woodchester mansion by Hetty Metcalfe.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Dávalos Lab @labdavalos.bsky.social · 26d

🧪New #shrewcrew #OA @genomeresearch.bsky.social 📃shows how tiny shrews remain active in ❄️❄️! As it gets 🥶tiny mammals hibernate or migrate, but not shrews. They shrink, thus reducing their overall⚡️demand 👉🏽 genome.cshlp.org/content/earl... 1/4

Summary of dynamic changes in shrew metabolism associated with seasonal size change, with proposed regulation of Dehnel’s cycle. Depleted lipid metabolites in the blood and increased RNA expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism indicate rapid fat turnover in winter juveniles. FOXO signaling regulates gluconeogenesis, also upregulated in winter juveniles, providing another energy source. Both FOXO signaling and fatty acid metabolism promote changes in oxidative phosphorylation, as was found in both the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, and have large effects on mitochondrial respiration in the liver.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Sar Crespi @boron110.bsky.social · Nov 24

Dive deep into the early history of humans and dogs, this week on the @science.org podcast w/ Life Sciences Editor Sacha Vigniri 🐕🐕‍🦺🐩

www.science.org/content/podc...

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Dr Angel Borja @drangelborja.bsky.social · Nov 22

Our new @azti.bsky.social paper on Advancing ecological #assessment: towards the integration of #eDNA #metabarcoding into an estuarine #fish index is out.
#Research
#MarineEcology
#GES4SEAS

Free download here:

authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Reposted by Robin J. Pakeman, Allan D. McDevitt

Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Nov 21

New #mammal conservation #PhD: "Understanding and Addressing Rural Hedgehog Population Declines".

@srucnews.bsky.social EastBio CASE project in partnership with (and co-supervised by) @ptes-org.bsky.social.

Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Act fast - applications close 15 December.
🦔🦔🦔

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · Nov 17

Ireland and Troy Parrott, why such a moment probably shouldn’t have been possible, and why it’s about so much more than a play-off

A moribund national team culture is alive again

www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Why Troy Parrott’s magic moment meant more than the World Cup play-offs to Ireland

The plight of Heimer Hallgrimsson’s team after four games meant none of this should have possible for a country which lacks the talent pool of yesteryear

www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt, Catherine J. Frieman, Judith Jesch

Anders Bergström @anders-bergstrom.bsky.social · Nov 17

A PhD project on historical genomics in the declining red squirrel in Britain is available in my group, through the @aries-dtp.bsky.social. Use historical genomes to track the effects of decline and genetic rescue in this charismatic species. aries-dtp.ac.uk/studentships...

Historical genomics of the declining red squirrel in Britain | Aries

Dr Anders Bergström, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia Professor Cock van Oosterhout, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Dr Selina Brace…

aries-dtp.ac.uk

Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social · Nov 3

Ah, the dreaded reviewer comments that are longer than the paper itself 🤦‍♂️

Reposted by Doerthe Tetzlaff, Allan D. McDevitt

Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · Nov 1

Out now by Zhang et al:

Hyperspectral imagery 🛰️, LiDAR point clouds 🛩️, and #eDNA 🧬 to assess land-water linkage of #biodiversity across #aquatic functional feeding groups.🐟🪰🦠🔬🌐🌍

zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

@eawag.bsky.social #UZH

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

The Mariani Lab @marianilab.bsky.social · Oct 29

If there is anything that you always wanted to know about the #metaprobe but were afraid to ask,
Mark your diary: THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER!
More news soon…
#eDNA
@britishecologicalsociety.org

A metaprobe device, used to sample environmental DNA

Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social · Oct 25

Can't get an ewok out of my head looking at the face pattern on the left!

Reposted by Jonathan Lenoir, Allan D. McDevitt

Journal of Animal Ecology @animalecology.bsky.social · Oct 23

🦌 Deer migration, deer density, tick distribution and incidence of a tick-borne zoonosis
➡️ buff.ly/4wXYf5c

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn, Marcel E. Visser, Patrick A. Jansen , and 6 more Tim M. Blackburn, Marcel E. Visser, Patrick A. Jansen, Márk E. Hauber, Glenn H. Shepard, Allan D. McDevitt, Tommaso Jucker, Andrew Hacket‐Pain, Samuele Ramellini

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · Oct 20

Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

The annual Wytham Field Team Photo!

Celebrating a successful field season with great food & good company - May 2025

Front view of the Life & Mind Building, which opened in Oct 2025: The new home of Biology at Oxford

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Oct 18

Five species from a #smallmammal #cameratrap at Portsoy, Aberdeenshire - a mouse, two voles and two shrew species - including Water Shrew 😀

#mammal #trailcamera @nesmammals.bsky.social

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Journal of Animal Ecology @animalecology.bsky.social · Oct 16

🐇 This study presents a methodological framework using camera trap and scat data to assess how components of prey availability influence prey selection. This is done in a way that can be applied across a variety of mammal species and ecological contexts➡️ buff.ly/7iWNO4X

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Dr Huw Groucutt @huwgroucutt.bsky.social · Oct 16

Just out, our new paper "The state of the late Quaternary megafauna extinction debate...". We review the various perspectives, methods, and datasets which have been used to explore the extinction of many large animals. Was it humans, climate, or a mix of both? The debate continues!

Frontiers | The state of the late Quaternary megafauna extinction debate: a systematic review and analysis

With its origins in the late 18th and early 19th century, the question of what drove the late Quaternary megafauna extinctions remains one of science’s most ...

www.frontiersin.org

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Jose M. Fariñas-Franco @drjosemfarinas.bsky.social · Oct 15

In this #newpaper I joined 24 other colleagues across 18 countries to say nuance is needed in licensing marine ecological restoration projects. We don't advocate deregulation but they can't be subjected to same licensing framework as extractive and commercial activities. www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Rethinking marine restoration permitting to urgently advance efforts

The decline in marine biodiversity necessitates the urgent restoration of our oceans; however, these efforts face unique technical, financial, and regulatory challenges. Unlike terrestrial work, metho...

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

Applied Animal Ecology @apanec-lab.bsky.social · Oct 15

🌊 New paper out!
Our latest study in Environmental DNA shows how fish daily vertical migrations affect eDNA in the ocean. 🐟
For species like European hake, seafloor eDNA signals vary between morning and evening, showing that behavior must be considered in eDNA monitoring.
👉 doi.org/10.1002/edn3...

Environmental DNA for Aquatic Monitoring: Impact of Diel Vertical Migration

Environmental DNA concentrations are affected by animal behavior, such as diel vertical migration (DVM), which has repercussions for designing eDNA sampling strategies. The effect of DVM was identifi....

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Dr Danni Hinchcliffe @dannihinchy.bsky.social · Oct 13

Thrilled to share my latest open access research publication - Shifting Seasons: Long‐Term Insights Into Climate Change Effects on Bird Phenology From UK Bird Observatory Ringing Data #ornithology #ljmu #impact @ljmuofficial.bsky.social @ljmu-ris.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Shifting Seasons: Long‐Term Insights Into Climate Change Effects on Bird Phenology From Ringing Data

This study analyses a 25-year bird ringing dataset from Spurn Bird Observatory to assess how climate change affects migratory bird arrival times and species abundance. While there was a weak associat...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Pritam Banerjee @pritam8683.bsky.social · Oct 9

My first post here 🙂

👩‍🔬💧 Can a few drops of water reveal hidden rice-field pests?
Our new bioRxiv preprint shows how low-cost eDNA can help farmers track native & invasive species efficiently—no long surveys needed.

🌾 Read more: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#eDNA #Agroecology #PestMonitoring

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

Brent Emerson @brentcemerson.bsky.social · Oct 9

!!!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Archived natural DNA samplers reveal four decades of biodiversity change across the tree of life - Nature Ecology & Evolution

This study explores four decades of biodiversity change across the tree of life in Germany’s terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by sequencing standardized biota samples from a long-term pollution monitoring archive.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Hannah Scharf @hannah-scharf.bsky.social · Oct 7

Today I heard a pair of great tits just outside my office window, followed by a loud thump of something against the windowsill. I rolled up my blinds and to my surprise, there was a bat! This tit had knocked a bat from her roost and looked like he was thinking about lunch…

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Ciara | Ciaraíoch 🎨 @ciaraioch.bsky.social · Oct 7

Parents, please teach your offspring to swim and to drive before they're in their 20s because it's SO much harder (and consequently more expensive) as adults. Ideally, they should be swimming comfortably as a young child and able to drive an articulated lorry cross country by age six

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

Colin Simpfendorfer @sharkcolin.bsky.social · Oct 2

New #sharkscience out in @currentbiology.bsky.social by @seaprinceaaron.bsky.social and colleagues.
Deep-sea mining risks for sharks, rays, and chimeras. A must read for this looming threat to many already threatened species.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@iucnshark.bsky.social

Deep-sea mining risks for sharks, rays, and chimeras

Judah et al. identify 30 species of chondrichthyans that overlap with proposed deep-sea mining activities, nearly two-thirds of which are already threatened with extinction. Precautionary management o...

Reposted by Wolfgang Crämer, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dustin Mulvaney , and 4 more Wolfgang Crämer, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dustin Mulvaney, Smith, Allan D. McDevitt, Catherine J. Frieman, Southern Africa

Michelle A. Rodrigues 🐒 @marspidermonkey.bsky.social · Oct 2

As a primatologist, Jane Goodall was a huge inspiration to me. I admired the way she describes chimpanzee behavior with such detail and empathy, and she’s inspired so many people and advocated for chimpanzee conservation and welfare.

However, I'm dismayed at what her narrative leaves out (1/10)

Photo of Jane Goodall in the center, signing a book, with three women standing slightly hunched behind her. A very young Michelle is to the right, smiling.