Richard J. Butler | Lightnews

Richard Butler

@richardjbutler.bsky.social

1.2K followers 280 following 310 posts

Dinosaur researcher, Professor of Palaeobiology & Director of Research, University of Birmingham. Mostly in meetings; would rather be on fieldwork. Current projects in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇲🇦 🇷🇸 🇰🇬 🇺🇸 🇷🇴 🇭🇺

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Richard James Butler is a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Birmingham, where he holds the title of professor of palaeobiology. His research focuses on ornithischian dinosaur evolution, dinosaur origins, and fossil tetrapod macroevolution. .. more

Environmental science 39%

Geology 28%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Richard J. Butler, Ondřej Mottl

Lewis A. Jones (he/him) @lewisajones.bsky.social · 2d

🚨 Pre-announcement! 🚨

We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.

- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP

- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn

Reposted by Richard J. Butler, John R. Hutchinson, Marta Mìrazón Lahr

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 3d

JOB KLAXON! The @nhm-london.bsky.social is recruiting a micro-CT specialist! jobs.nhm.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

CT Data and Micro CT Specialist :South Kensington

jobs.nhm.ac.uk

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 5d

I’m not sure I can simultaneously deal with the Antwerp ring road and listen to Shakin’ Stevens yet again.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 5d

Too many times to count.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 5d

I’m driving 12 hours through five countries this weekend & my daughter is insistent we must only listen to Christmas radio stations. Send help.

Reposted by Richard J. Butler, John R. Hutchinson

Charlotte Brassey @cbrassey.bsky.social · 6d

New microCT job! Come run our new Heritage Science lab at ManMet. 5 year post funded by AHRC. Responsible for the microCT plus terrestrial LiDAR, surface laser scanners and more! Happy to consider any disciplinary background manmetjobs.mmu.ac.uk/jobs/vacancy...

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 6d

Surely the bad jokes and childish banter are the whole point?

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 7d

Magnificent artwork from projects with which I was involved in 2025, by @sketchy-raptor.bsky.social @markwitton.bsky.social @maijakarala.bsky.social

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 8d

This year, @nhm-london.bsky.social scientists have described 262 new species. Josh talks us though these discoveries, including one by @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social and I.. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfTx...

What new species were discovered in 2025? | Natural History Museum

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

www.youtube.com

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

Last day in the office for 2025. It’s been an incredible year workwise, but as always the greatest pleasure and privilege is the people I get to work with. Thanks in particular to my main partners in crime @tweetisaurus.bsky.social & @kirstymedgar.bsky.social for being absolutely inspirational.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

Recommended, even if you’ve heard Susie talk about stegosaurs before. How could you ever have enough of Susie talking about stegosaurs?

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 8d

On the off-chance that you are one of the three people left in the world who hasn't heard me talking about stegosaurs, you can catch me here, on The Ancients podcast: youtube.com/watch?v=I9Vk...

Inside The Bizarre Biology Of The Stegosaurs

YouTube video by The Ancients

youtube.com

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 8d

On the off-chance that you are one of the three people left in the world who hasn't heard me talking about stegosaurs, you can catch me here, on The Ancients podcast: youtube.com/watch?v=I9Vk...

Inside The Bizarre Biology Of The Stegosaurs

YouTube video by The Ancients

youtube.com

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

Some of the best landscapes I visited in 2025, in the USA 🇺🇸, Canada 🇨🇦, Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 and Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

Yes @plos.org, I’m sure I am an appropriate reviewer of a systematic review of caesarean section rates.

This sort of thing is why I stopped publishing or reviewing with PLOS One over a decade ago. Disappointing to see issues haven’t gone away.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

It’s clear that Greg Paul has become a taxonomic vandal.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

You could always pitch it to The Conversation!

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

Notably, all these discoveries came from fundamental field- and collections work, which is often underappreciated. @tweetisaurus.bsky.social & I wrote a perspective this year on the importance of taxonomy & field discoveries, and the future of this work: royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article...

New frontiers in dinosaur exploration

Abstract. Two hundred years after the naming of the first dinosaur, taxonomic studies remain an important component of dinosaur research. Around 50 new din

royalsocietypublishing.org

Reposted by John R. Hutchinson

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

I wrote a piece for @theconversation.com about the top dinosaur discoveries of 2025, featuring Zavacephale, Istiorachis, Spicomellus, Nanotyrannus and Huayracursor. Research from @tweetisaurus.bsky.social @valdosaurus.bsky.social, Lindsay Zanno and more:

theconversation.com/the-best-din...

The best dinosaur discoveries of 2025

We’re in a golden era for dinosaur science.

theconversation.com

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 11d

This this message was intended to be a reply to your post: bsky.app/profile/pter...

pteronauticus.bsky.social @pteronauticus.bsky.social · 12d

Why bother? No amount of histology is going to turn Bakiribu back into a pterosaur. The comparative morphology clearly demonstrates Bakiribu is a fish. The key question is: how did Pegas et al make this mistake in the first place? Did no one alert them to their error before publication?

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

pteronauticus.bsky.social @pteronauticus.bsky.social · 12d

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 12d

Would have quite liked to be at #PalAss25 but instead I’m taking my daughter tomorrow to the Gladiators live tour which will I’m sure have absolutely no parallels with the world of academia.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 13d

@tweetisaurus.bsky.social @fossilrob.bsky.social - how about a Fossils Files podcast on all the times - and there are plenty - that bits of fish have been identified as bits of other vertebrates…?

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 13d

Interesting preprint suggesting that recently described fossils from Brazil described as a new ctenochasmatine pterosaur, Bakiribu, preserved within a regurgitalite, instead represent the gill arch apparatus of an actinopterygian fish:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Reinterpretation of Bakiribu waridza from the Romualdo Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Brazil: a fish not a pterosaur

Fragmentary remains of fossil vertebrates from the Romualdo Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Brazil, preserved in association with two fish were interpreted as two individuals of a new genus and specie...

www.biorxiv.org

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 14d

Saw my hairdresser, buddy & #2025SVP DJ Tom this morning, who was saying again that the SVP crowd was one of the most up for it he’s ever seen.

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Oxford Earth Sciences @oxuniearthsci.bsky.social · 16d

Prof Erin Saupe (@eesaupe.bsky.social) has been awarded funding from the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants! The EXTINCT project will develop new ways of determining what causes marine invertebrates to die out.

www.earth.ox.ac.uk/article/prof...

Professor Erin Saupe awarded ERC Consolidator Grant

www.earth.ox.ac.uk

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 17d

Rob snuck out a @thefossilfiles.bsky.social podcast on Tues and I missed it! Herein, we discuss AI and whether it is about to replace us, and I express 'scepticism' about some previous AI studies... fossils.libsyn.com You can find us here or wherever you get your podcasts 👇

The Fossil Files

In “The Fossil Files”, a pair of palaeontologists delve into the latest discoveries from the world of palaeontology and seek to bring fossils to back to life. Each episode, Susie and Rob will discuss ...

fossils.libsyn.com

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 20d

Jeremy is a wonderful person doing some great science.

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 21d

A great article about @nhm-london.bsky.social Scientific Assiciate and generally fabulous human @valdosaurus.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The GP turned Isle of Wight dinosaur hunter rewriting history

Retired doctor Jeremey Lockwood has used his medical skills to discover three new dinosaur species

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Robert Sansom @fossilrob.bsky.social · 20d

Will AI replace palaeontologists? Can we use AI to find, classify, and interpret fossils? 🤖🦖🐚 New episode of @thefossilfiles.bsky.social looks at just that for #FossilFriday