Alan Tennyson
@atennyson.bsky.social
Curator of Vertebrates, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. Birds, palaeontology, conservation & general natural history. https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/learn/research/natural-history-research/natural-history-team
‘Incredible’ carved canoe dates back to first settlement of islands near New Zealand | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
‘Incredible’ carved canoe dates back to first settlement of islands near New Zealand
Fibers found on waka in Chatham Islands roughly align in age with earliest known human arrival
www.science.org
December 5, 2025 at 2:58 AM
‘Incredible’ carved canoe dates back to first settlement of islands near New Zealand | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Michael Archer, no stranger to media hype (see: resurrecting thylacines), has invented the "drop croc" based on the solid palaeotological evidence of…fossil eggshell. There's no evidence that any terrestrial croc could climb, let alone drop out of trees like a leopard. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Evidence of ancient tree-climbing 'drop crocs' found in Australia
Scientists say the crocodiles hunted like leopards by climbing trees and killing prey below.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Michael Archer, no stranger to media hype (see: resurrecting thylacines), has invented the "drop croc" based on the solid palaeotological evidence of…fossil eggshell. There's no evidence that any terrestrial croc could climb, let alone drop out of trees like a leopard. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
The irony here is that academics don’t just write the articles for free—we also referee and edit for them for free. Something is deeply broken.
“New Zealand's eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
“New Zealand's eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Universities in 'battle of the century' with journal publisher Elsevier
One New Zealand university told its staff all universities in New Zealand and Australia would "lose some degree of access" to the publisher's 1600 titles from the start of next year.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 15, 2025 at 5:50 AM
The irony here is that academics don’t just write the articles for free—we also referee and edit for them for free. Something is deeply broken.
“New Zealand's eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
“New Zealand's eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Just a reminder that Elizabeth Holmes once featured on TIME's 100 Most Influential People list. Incidentally, TIME's unbridled hymn of praise for Lamm comes courtesy of George Church who is, of course, the co-founder with Lamm of #ColossalBio.
September 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Just a reminder that Elizabeth Holmes once featured on TIME's 100 Most Influential People list. Incidentally, TIME's unbridled hymn of praise for Lamm comes courtesy of George Church who is, of course, the co-founder with Lamm of #ColossalBio.
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
You have to laugh at some of the quotes in this piece about the smear campaign against critics of @itiscolossal.bsky.social. George Church says Ben Lamm "has faced technical hurdles and skeptics with respect & humor" www.gmwatch.org/en/106-news/... 1/2
Dark PR attacks on critics of 10-billion-dollar biotech Goliath
Debunkers of de-extinction disinformation hit by vicious campaign of intimidation. Report: Jonathan Matthews
www.gmwatch.org
October 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM
You have to laugh at some of the quotes in this piece about the smear campaign against critics of @itiscolossal.bsky.social. George Church says Ben Lamm "has faced technical hurdles and skeptics with respect & humor" www.gmwatch.org/en/106-news/... 1/2
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
I wouldn't call @itiscolossal.bsky.social CEO Ben Lamm's tweet respectful or funny, & certainly not his comments calling critics, like @devoevomed.bsky.social, lying tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists with mental health problems who are stalkers. Seriously WTF. What planet is Colossal on? 2/2
October 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I wouldn't call @itiscolossal.bsky.social CEO Ben Lamm's tweet respectful or funny, & certainly not his comments calling critics, like @devoevomed.bsky.social, lying tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists with mental health problems who are stalkers. Seriously WTF. What planet is Colossal on? 2/2
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
🦴New fossil alert🦴 Introducing Aeviperditus gracilis, a possible bowerbird from the Miocene of New Zealand. My first fossil description!
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
🦴New fossil alert🦴 Introducing Aeviperditus gracilis, a possible bowerbird from the Miocene of New Zealand. My first fossil description!
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Super chuffed to have been awarded $40,000 in the latest @universityofotago.bsky.social Research Grant round to continue our palaeontological research at St Bathans - with @palaeocharlie.bsky.social, @atennyson.bsky.social, Ross Thompson, Malcom Reid, Amy Adams, & Gerry Closs.
October 26, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Super chuffed to have been awarded $40,000 in the latest @universityofotago.bsky.social Research Grant round to continue our palaeontological research at St Bathans - with @palaeocharlie.bsky.social, @atennyson.bsky.social, Ross Thompson, Malcom Reid, Amy Adams, & Gerry Closs.
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Check out our @aunz.theconversation.com article covering the St Bathans #bowerbird story!
theconversation.com/a-tiny-fossi...
@nicrawlencenz.bsky.social @atennyson.bsky.social @plubbe.bsky.social
theconversation.com/a-tiny-fossi...
@nicrawlencenz.bsky.social @atennyson.bsky.social @plubbe.bsky.social
A tiny fossil suggests bowerbirds once lived in ancient New Zealand – new research
New Zealand’s ancient bowerbird was smaller and more slender than the species living in Australia and New Guinea today.
theconversation.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Check out our @aunz.theconversation.com article covering the St Bathans #bowerbird story!
theconversation.com/a-tiny-fossi...
@nicrawlencenz.bsky.social @atennyson.bsky.social @plubbe.bsky.social
theconversation.com/a-tiny-fossi...
@nicrawlencenz.bsky.social @atennyson.bsky.social @plubbe.bsky.social
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Team effort from @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social @plubbe.bsky.social @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social Alex Brown and @atennyson.bsky.social between Cambridge Uni, Otago Uni and Te Papa Tongarewa.
Find the paper here www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @historicalbiology.bsky.social (🧵2/11)
Find the paper here www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @historicalbiology.bsky.social (🧵2/11)
A possible early bowerbird from the Miocene of New Zealand
Aotearoa New Zealand is home to several endemic passerine bird lineages that likely dispersed from Australia between the Eocene and Miocene. Although the Australian pre-Pleistocene passerine fossil...
www.tandfonline.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Team effort from @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social @plubbe.bsky.social @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social Alex Brown and @atennyson.bsky.social between Cambridge Uni, Otago Uni and Te Papa Tongarewa.
Find the paper here www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @historicalbiology.bsky.social (🧵2/11)
Find the paper here www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @historicalbiology.bsky.social (🧵2/11)
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
You can check out our @aunz.theconversation.com article on this new discovery here theconversation.com/a-tiny-fossi.... 8/9
A tiny fossil suggests bowerbirds once lived in ancient New Zealand – new research
New Zealand’s ancient bowerbird was smaller and more slender than the species living in Australia and New Guinea today.
theconversation.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
You can check out our @aunz.theconversation.com article on this new discovery here theconversation.com/a-tiny-fossi.... 8/9
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
This research mahi on the St Bathans bowerbird was led by the amazing @lizzysteell.bsky.social of the @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social lab. She is one of the up and coming palaeontologists working on passerines (songbirds) and definitely one to watch.
Welcome to the world Aevipertidus gracilis - the gracile one from a lost age. 14-19 Mya ancient #NewZealand appears to have had a bowerbird. Check out this amazing research mahi led by Elizabeth Steell (www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....). Artwork by Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 1/9 🧵
October 22, 2025 at 9:55 PM
This research mahi on the St Bathans bowerbird was led by the amazing @lizzysteell.bsky.social of the @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social lab. She is one of the up and coming palaeontologists working on passerines (songbirds) and definitely one to watch.
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
New possible Miocene bowerbird from New Zealand, Aeviperditus gracilis: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... Congratulations, @lizzysteell.bsky.social! 🪶🧪
October 7, 2025 at 3:14 PM
New possible Miocene bowerbird from New Zealand, Aeviperditus gracilis: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... Congratulations, @lizzysteell.bsky.social! 🪶🧪
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
October 10, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Check out our new paper led by Rebecca Kinaston & I in @newzealandecology.bsky.social newzealandecology.org/nzje/3616. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this study Rebecca - with Jill Hamel, Chris Lalas, Amy Adams, @atennyson.bsky.social, Richard Walter & Michael Richards 1/6
Reconstructing ecological niche and feeding ecology of pre-contact New Zealand avifauna from Harwood, Otago Peninsula | NZES
newzealandecology.org
October 9, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Check out our new paper led by Rebecca Kinaston & I in @newzealandecology.bsky.social newzealandecology.org/nzje/3616. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this study Rebecca - with Jill Hamel, Chris Lalas, Amy Adams, @atennyson.bsky.social, Richard Walter & Michael Richards 1/6
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
#ColossalBio CEO Mr. Lamm is concerned that my “mental health” issues and “stalking-like behavior” threaten his employees’ safety; ad hominem attacks in response to valid public criticism of their #DisInformation campaign is not a mental health disorder 1/n 🧪
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Scientists targeted by dark PR tactics: Several academic scientists critical of de-extinction projects have become the targets of anonymous smear articles and weaponized copyright infringement claims:...
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
www.embopress.org
September 29, 2025 at 5:28 PM
#ColossalBio CEO Mr. Lamm is concerned that my “mental health” issues and “stalking-like behavior” threaten his employees’ safety; ad hominem attacks in response to valid public criticism of their #DisInformation campaign is not a mental health disorder 1/n 🧪
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
On #FossilFriday I am proud to share a new discovery - a skull of a large extinct relative of king and emperor penguins.
@atennyson.bsky.social, Daniel Thomas, Felix Marx,
and I report this magnificent skull in Journal of Paleontology:
https://
bit.ly/4ne3HQV
@atennyson.bsky.social, Daniel Thomas, Felix Marx,
and I report this magnificent skull in Journal of Paleontology:
https://
bit.ly/4ne3HQV
September 26, 2025 at 7:27 PM
On #FossilFriday I am proud to share a new discovery - a skull of a large extinct relative of king and emperor penguins.
@atennyson.bsky.social, Daniel Thomas, Felix Marx,
and I report this magnificent skull in Journal of Paleontology:
https://
bit.ly/4ne3HQV
@atennyson.bsky.social, Daniel Thomas, Felix Marx,
and I report this magnificent skull in Journal of Paleontology:
https://
bit.ly/4ne3HQV
Our latest article on Taranaki fossils is out: Close relatives of emperor penguins lived in NZ some 3 million years ago. What caused their extinction? theconversation.com/close-relati...
Close relatives of emperor penguins lived in NZ some 3 million years ago. What caused their extinction?
Great penguins once lived in much warmer waters, but then retreated to the Southern Ocean. In a warming world, they might be able to shift their range again.
theconversation.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Our latest article on Taranaki fossils is out: Close relatives of emperor penguins lived in NZ some 3 million years ago. What caused their extinction? theconversation.com/close-relati...
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Celebrities and venture capitalists throw millions at a company claiming it can breed fake dodos, which seems especially cruel given the dodo’s living relative., the Samoan tooth-billed pigeon or manumea, is on the brink of extinction for lack of money. news.mongabay.com/2025/09/fund...
Funding is needed to save Samoa’s ‘little dodo’ from extinction (commentary)
It’s early August 2025. Deep in the rainforests of Upolu, on the island of Samoa, Moeumu “Moe” Uili and I have paused our hike, counting the seconds between coo calls from an unseen pigeon hidden in t...
news.mongabay.com
September 21, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Celebrities and venture capitalists throw millions at a company claiming it can breed fake dodos, which seems especially cruel given the dodo’s living relative., the Samoan tooth-billed pigeon or manumea, is on the brink of extinction for lack of money. news.mongabay.com/2025/09/fund...
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
There's a great Substack piece by Adam Rutherford debunking all this nonsense.
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
Dire wolves remain very extinct
Despite what you are being fed, de-extinction is a con, full of gloss, bullshit and ghoulish greed.
arutherford.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
There's a great Substack piece by Adam Rutherford debunking all this nonsense.
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
The scientists who are on Colossal's SAB really, *really* need to re-think what they are doing there and whether they want their names associated with this project.
The absolute garbage from Colossal continues, this time it's Dodos. I won't link to the article, because Ben Lamm their CEO is quite open about their intentions.
Instead read my sweary takedown of the dire Wolf claims from earlier in the year.
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
Instead read my sweary takedown of the dire Wolf claims from earlier in the year.
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
September 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
The scientists who are on Colossal's SAB really, *really* need to re-think what they are doing there and whether they want their names associated with this project.
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
Large penguin from the Tangahoe Formation (Pliocene of New Zealand), a member of the same genus as extant king and emperor penguins: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... 🧪🪶 (📷 @atennyson.bsky.social et al.)
September 19, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Large penguin from the Tangahoe Formation (Pliocene of New Zealand), a member of the same genus as extant king and emperor penguins: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... 🧪🪶 (📷 @atennyson.bsky.social et al.)
Reposted by Alan Tennyson
A new study warns that Macaronesia has suffered heavy biodiversity losses, revealing each extinct species including 27 birds:
Extinct Macaronesian endemics revealed in new study
A PNAS Nexus study records 220 species extinctions in Macaronesia, including half of all endemic birds, with losses accelerating over 12-fold after human colonisation in the 15th Century. The Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands and Cape Verde have lost snails, reptiles, arthropods and birds, prompting calls for urgent conservation and habitat restoration to protect their fragile biodiversity.
bit.ly
September 10, 2025 at 11:46 AM
A new study warns that Macaronesia has suffered heavy biodiversity losses, revealing each extinct species including 27 birds: