Darren Irwin (he / him)
@darrenirwin.bsky.social
UBC Professor of Zoology; student of birds, genomes, evolution. Pro-democracy. Pro-sanity. Pro-humanity.
Pinned
The Driving W Hypothesis for Low Within-Population Mitochondrial DNA Diversity and Between-Population Mitochondrial Capture
The fields of evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, genetics, and taxonomy have been profoundly influenced by studies of variation in mitochondrial DNA. Here I propose a hypothesis that will likely...
doi.org
Hi y'all. In the midst of [gestures all around], I managed to write a thing.
If you work with mitochondrial DNA sequences in groups such as birds, butterflies, or snakes, you might find it interesting.
Feedback welcome.
The "Driving W Hypothesis" for low mtDNA diversity:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
If you work with mitochondrial DNA sequences in groups such as birds, butterflies, or snakes, you might find it interesting.
Feedback welcome.
The "Driving W Hypothesis" for low mtDNA diversity:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
What do you get when you cross a red-tailed hawk with a turkey vulture? 🪶
November 10, 2025 at 4:06 PM
What do you get when you cross a red-tailed hawk with a turkey vulture? 🪶
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
November 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Amy Angert and I are recruiting a #postdoc to participate in a collaborative NSF-funded study of demographic responses to climate across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower. Please repost! jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/224...
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Amy Angert and I are recruiting a #postdoc to participate in a collaborative NSF-funded study of demographic responses to climate across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower. Please repost! jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/224...
New and improved! (as of today, now with page numbers and an issue number ;)
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers
Abstract. Genomic differentiation usually accompanies speciation, but that differentiation is often highly heterogeneous across the genome. Understanding w
doi.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM
New and improved! (as of today, now with page numbers and an issue number ;)
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Almost PhDone! I'll be giving my PhD exit seminar in the morning (Thursday), and defending on Friday.
November 6, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Almost PhDone! I'll be giving my PhD exit seminar in the morning (Thursday), and defending on Friday.
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
1. On Tuesday Night, Democrats won elections nationwide in a stunning rebuke of anti-transgender politics.
From Virginia to New Jersey to New York and beyond, anti-trans candidates fell left and right after spending tons of time and money campaigning on hate.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
From Virginia to New Jersey to New York and beyond, anti-trans candidates fell left and right after spending tons of time and money campaigning on hate.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
"A Stunning Rebuke Of Anti-Trans Politics"—Dems Win Elections Nationwide Despite Anti-Trans Ads
As election results poured in on Tuesday night, it became clear that Democrats were winning nationwide against anti-trans opponents.
www.erininthemorning.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:10 AM
1. On Tuesday Night, Democrats won elections nationwide in a stunning rebuke of anti-transgender politics.
From Virginia to New Jersey to New York and beyond, anti-trans candidates fell left and right after spending tons of time and money campaigning on hate.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
From Virginia to New Jersey to New York and beyond, anti-trans candidates fell left and right after spending tons of time and money campaigning on hate.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Good things are possible and we don’t have to settle.
November 5, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Good things are possible and we don’t have to settle.
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Julia keeps it rational.
1//3 + 1//6 == 1//2
Exact math. No floating-point drama.
#JuliaLang #lovingJulia #sillyposts
1//3 + 1//6 == 1//2
Exact math. No floating-point drama.
#JuliaLang #lovingJulia #sillyposts
November 3, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Julia keeps it rational.
1//3 + 1//6 == 1//2
Exact math. No floating-point drama.
#JuliaLang #lovingJulia #sillyposts
1//3 + 1//6 == 1//2
Exact math. No floating-point drama.
#JuliaLang #lovingJulia #sillyposts
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
This fellowship offers a great deal of research freedom + leadership experience. Salary = $77,000/year + benefits and $7,000/year in research funds - expertise in bioinformatics will be desirable for one of the two positions
November 3, 2025 at 5:25 PM
This fellowship offers a great deal of research freedom + leadership experience. Salary = $77,000/year + benefits and $7,000/year in research funds - expertise in bioinformatics will be desirable for one of the two positions
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Applications are currently being accepted for UBC's ✨️ Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship ✨️ (two positions!!), due Jan. 15
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunities
Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2-year (2026-2028) - 2 positions OPENAt UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in resea...
biodiversity.ubc.ca
November 3, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Applications are currently being accepted for UBC's ✨️ Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship ✨️ (two positions!!), due Jan. 15
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
The end of an era: the Tree of Life Web Project is going dark after 3 decades. Anyone interested in communicating phylogeny online should read David's account of goals, history, and future. @bembidion.bsky.social
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
The Passing of the Tree of Life Web Project
The Tree of Life Web Project began its journey almost 40 years ago, and was formally announced in early 1996. It has served thousands of pages of information about the evolutionary tree of life and…
subulatepalpomere.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:54 PM
The end of an era: the Tree of Life Web Project is going dark after 3 decades. Anyone interested in communicating phylogeny online should read David's account of goals, history, and future. @bembidion.bsky.social
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
Our new @science.org paper is out! Cuckoos and hosts are locked in a coevolutionary arms race over egg mimicry.
But how are these egg types inherited, and could this drive speciation? We sequenced hundreds of genomes to find out!
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
🧵1/6
But how are these egg types inherited, and could this drive speciation? We sequenced hundreds of genomes to find out!
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
🧵1/6
Genomic architecture of egg mimicry and its consequences for speciation in parasitic cuckoos
Host-parasite arms races facilitate rapid evolution and can fuel speciation. Cuculus cuckoos are deceptive egg mimics that exhibit a broad diversity of counterfeit egg phenotypes, representing host-ad...
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Our new @science.org paper is out! Cuckoos and hosts are locked in a coevolutionary arms race over egg mimicry.
But how are these egg types inherited, and could this drive speciation? We sequenced hundreds of genomes to find out!
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
🧵1/6
But how are these egg types inherited, and could this drive speciation? We sequenced hundreds of genomes to find out!
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
🧵1/6
Pleased to see published today: the Molecular Ecology special issue on "Genomics of Speciation"; many interesting papers: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1365294x...
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
October 30, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Pleased to see published today: the Molecular Ecology special issue on "Genomics of Speciation"; many interesting papers: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1365294x...
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
October 30, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
There are so many brave people who love the idea of America and are standing up for the rule of law and our democracy in the extraordinary moments presented to them as they go about their ordinary lives. For me this is the most powerful and eloquent story of these times. Thanks to all of them.
October 25, 2025 at 11:25 PM
There are so many brave people who love the idea of America and are standing up for the rule of law and our democracy in the extraordinary moments presented to them as they go about their ordinary lives. For me this is the most powerful and eloquent story of these times. Thanks to all of them.
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
So pleased by the uptick in ornithological interest, with all this talk of blue jays and such
October 21, 2025 at 3:05 AM
So pleased by the uptick in ornithological interest, with all this talk of blue jays and such
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
I'm recruiting PhD students for the Barker Lab @uofa-eeb.bsky.social We study plant evolutionary genomics - polyploidy, hybridization & machine learning for genome evolution. Work with Selaginella, Xanthisma, Brassica & more. Funding available via CAMBIUM Fellowships. Reach out if interested! 🧬🌵🤖
October 24, 2025 at 5:01 AM
I'm recruiting PhD students for the Barker Lab @uofa-eeb.bsky.social We study plant evolutionary genomics - polyploidy, hybridization & machine learning for genome evolution. Work with Selaginella, Xanthisma, Brassica & more. Funding available via CAMBIUM Fellowships. Reach out if interested! 🧬🌵🤖
Breaking things is easy.
Building things is hard.
Building things is hard.
October 22, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Breaking things is easy.
Building things is hard.
Building things is hard.
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
My (graduated!) #GSoC mentee, Indu, is embarking on building a platform in #julialang for public health dashboards, medical imaging, & more! 🤠
If you are in #dataviz, #rstats, #opensource, #julialang, #medsky, or science communication, plz share your thoughts on her ideas here or on this post! 🧪
If you are in #dataviz, #rstats, #opensource, #julialang, #medsky, or science communication, plz share your thoughts on her ideas here or on this post! 🧪
Building a JuliaHealth-specific Genie.jl Dashboard
Hello everyone! 👋 I am currently working towards building a JuliaHealth-specific Dashboard using Genie.jl. The main idea is to have one simple, unified interface where users can: Load or connect to...
discourse.julialang.org
October 16, 2025 at 11:13 PM
My (graduated!) #GSoC mentee, Indu, is embarking on building a platform in #julialang for public health dashboards, medical imaging, & more! 🤠
If you are in #dataviz, #rstats, #opensource, #julialang, #medsky, or science communication, plz share your thoughts on her ideas here or on this post! 🧪
If you are in #dataviz, #rstats, #opensource, #julialang, #medsky, or science communication, plz share your thoughts on her ideas here or on this post! 🧪
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
UBC’s department of Computer Science invites applications for up to 2 full-time tenure-track positions. The department is particularly interested in researchers in: visualization, robotics, reinforcement learning, data management, and data mining. @cs.ubc.ca
science.ubc.ca/about/careers
science.ubc.ca/about/careers
October 21, 2025 at 5:07 PM
UBC’s department of Computer Science invites applications for up to 2 full-time tenure-track positions. The department is particularly interested in researchers in: visualization, robotics, reinforcement learning, data management, and data mining. @cs.ubc.ca
science.ubc.ca/about/careers
science.ubc.ca/about/careers
So pleased by the uptick in ornithological interest, with all this talk of blue jays and such
October 21, 2025 at 3:05 AM
So pleased by the uptick in ornithological interest, with all this talk of blue jays and such
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
We are compiling a list of scientific societies with public statements denouncing bioessentialist claims that sex and gender are strict binaries
If your organization has publicly shown support for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, please let us know!
Below is a thread of statements:
If your organization has publicly shown support for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, please let us know!
Below is a thread of statements:
October 20, 2025 at 8:33 PM
We are compiling a list of scientific societies with public statements denouncing bioessentialist claims that sex and gender are strict binaries
If your organization has publicly shown support for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, please let us know!
Below is a thread of statements:
If your organization has publicly shown support for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, please let us know!
Below is a thread of statements:
Reposted by Darren Irwin (he / him)
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...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
October 20, 2025 at 7:44 PM
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...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...