@diplotomodon.bsky.social
paleontology | museums | Philadelphia | storytelling | 𓅽
Almost forgot it was Edgar Allan Poe's birthday! Here he is (right) hanging out with Joseph Leidy (center)
January 20, 2026 at 2:38 AM
Almost forgot it was Edgar Allan Poe's birthday! Here he is (right) hanging out with Joseph Leidy (center)
Another (incredibly grainy) look at Dolores the Corythosaurus from the old earth sciences hall, thanks to this old commercial www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_LE...
January 19, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Another (incredibly grainy) look at Dolores the Corythosaurus from the old earth sciences hall, thanks to this old commercial www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_LE...
Reposted
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
I'm ready to pull out Ol' Reliable:
January 19, 2026 at 12:06 AM
I'm ready to pull out Ol' Reliable:
I'm hearing Bluesky is a sports app now?
January 18, 2026 at 8:07 PM
I'm hearing Bluesky is a sports app now?
Reposted
Very interesting history of @nature.com and its relation to science.
“Ultimately, peer review didn’t transform Nature’s standing so much as protect it, converting exclusivity that might have seemed arbitrary into gatekeeping that appeared meritocratic.”
www.asimov.press/p/nature?hid...
“Ultimately, peer review didn’t transform Nature’s standing so much as protect it, converting exclusivity that might have seemed arbitrary into gatekeeping that appeared meritocratic.”
www.asimov.press/p/nature?hid...
How Nature Became a 'Prestige' Journal
Since launching in 1869, Nature has evolved from a periodical offering commentary on pigeons to the prestige journal in science. But how did Nature build its reputation, and can it last?
www.asimov.press
January 18, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Very interesting history of @nature.com and its relation to science.
“Ultimately, peer review didn’t transform Nature’s standing so much as protect it, converting exclusivity that might have seemed arbitrary into gatekeeping that appeared meritocratic.”
www.asimov.press/p/nature?hid...
“Ultimately, peer review didn’t transform Nature’s standing so much as protect it, converting exclusivity that might have seemed arbitrary into gatekeeping that appeared meritocratic.”
www.asimov.press/p/nature?hid...
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If you're doing stuff IRL, you probably shouldn't be posting about it on the internet. especially as an individual. Also there's a lot of important work that can be done online.
We have destroyed nazi organizations from behind a keyboard, The online work facilitates the IRL work, and vice versa.
We have destroyed nazi organizations from behind a keyboard, The online work facilitates the IRL work, and vice versa.
January 17, 2026 at 10:59 PM
If you're doing stuff IRL, you probably shouldn't be posting about it on the internet. especially as an individual. Also there's a lot of important work that can be done online.
We have destroyed nazi organizations from behind a keyboard, The online work facilitates the IRL work, and vice versa.
We have destroyed nazi organizations from behind a keyboard, The online work facilitates the IRL work, and vice versa.
Reposted
Reposted
Interesting post by Mickey Mortimer on frequency and lag of redescriptions of theropod dinosaurs originally described in ScIence or Nature. Large amount of work in unpublished theses.
theropoddatabase.blogspot.com/2026/01/do-t...
#taxonomy #systematics #paleontology 🦖
theropoddatabase.blogspot.com/2026/01/do-t...
#taxonomy #systematics #paleontology 🦖
Do theropods described in Science and Nature get fully described eventually? Fifteen years later...
So here's a fun one to finish up the year (got delayed due to computer issues; yes, more Titanosaurus is coming, but Curtice's excellent blo...
theropoddatabase.blogspot.com
January 17, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Interesting post by Mickey Mortimer on frequency and lag of redescriptions of theropod dinosaurs originally described in ScIence or Nature. Large amount of work in unpublished theses.
theropoddatabase.blogspot.com/2026/01/do-t...
#taxonomy #systematics #paleontology 🦖
theropoddatabase.blogspot.com/2026/01/do-t...
#taxonomy #systematics #paleontology 🦖
#ThrowbackThursday on a #FossilFriday? It's more likely than you think
January 16, 2026 at 5:57 PM
#ThrowbackThursday on a #FossilFriday? It's more likely than you think
Reposted
one year since David Lynch passed, happy friday and RIP big dawg
January 16, 2026 at 10:06 AM
one year since David Lynch passed, happy friday and RIP big dawg
Reposted
When you focus on the regular people showing up magnificently in all of their flawed beauty, it helps you to keep going.
January 16, 2026 at 11:34 AM
When you focus on the regular people showing up magnificently in all of their flawed beauty, it helps you to keep going.
Reposted
While the pasty incels who work the federal agencies continue to churn out feeble, bloodless AI pastiches of Axis propaganda, here’s how a living breathing artist powerfully invokes design history. This is by illustrator Emily K in South Philly, a free poster-sized download on her website: →
January 15, 2026 at 7:57 PM
While the pasty incels who work the federal agencies continue to churn out feeble, bloodless AI pastiches of Axis propaganda, here’s how a living breathing artist powerfully invokes design history. This is by illustrator Emily K in South Philly, a free poster-sized download on her website: →
Reposted
HEATED RIVALRY UNIVERSE: Wow that’s a man he’s kissing, and the crowd loves it! Amazing what a night for hockey!
NHL UNIVERSE: [Don cherry sees this and yells a slur so loud and vile that all language is reset]
NHL UNIVERSE: [Don cherry sees this and yells a slur so loud and vile that all language is reset]
January 16, 2026 at 2:43 AM
HEATED RIVALRY UNIVERSE: Wow that’s a man he’s kissing, and the crowd loves it! Amazing what a night for hockey!
NHL UNIVERSE: [Don cherry sees this and yells a slur so loud and vile that all language is reset]
NHL UNIVERSE: [Don cherry sees this and yells a slur so loud and vile that all language is reset]
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if you try to focus on Trump’s authoritarianism, Schumer will deflect and say people want us to focus on affordability. but when Zohran Mamdani made affordability the heart of his campaign Schumer refused to endorse him because they disagree about Israel. it’s all mealy mouthed bullshit.
January 15, 2026 at 6:50 PM
if you try to focus on Trump’s authoritarianism, Schumer will deflect and say people want us to focus on affordability. but when Zohran Mamdani made affordability the heart of his campaign Schumer refused to endorse him because they disagree about Israel. it’s all mealy mouthed bullshit.
Based on this information there is a non-zero chance that Rand Paul has somehow heard about The Incident
January 15, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Based on this information there is a non-zero chance that Rand Paul has somehow heard about The Incident
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need philly to realize that, best case scenario, this is the kind of baby shit we will get out of Law and Order Shapiro so we can plan accordingly btw
January 15, 2026 at 5:44 PM
need philly to realize that, best case scenario, this is the kind of baby shit we will get out of Law and Order Shapiro so we can plan accordingly btw
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So very happy that after 11 years of research and data collection, this paper is finally out! Couldn't have done it without my coauthors, Nathan Myhrvold and Jack Horner!
peerj.com/articles/204...
peerj.com/articles/204...
Prolonged growth and extended subadult development in the Tyrannosaurus rex species complex revealed by expanded histological sampling and statistical modeling
Background Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the most iconic non-avialan dinosaurs, remains a central focus of paleobiological research. Growth modeling suggests T. rex exceeded 8,000 kg within two decades an...
peerj.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:27 PM
So very happy that after 11 years of research and data collection, this paper is finally out! Couldn't have done it without my coauthors, Nathan Myhrvold and Jack Horner!
peerj.com/articles/204...
peerj.com/articles/204...
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I like how in the past couple months we’ve gotten several really solid, rigorous research papers that demonstrated our previous understanding of Tyrannosaurus life history was probably wrong. This comprehensive histology work demonstrates it grew at about half the rate we previously thought!
January 14, 2026 at 4:50 PM
I like how in the past couple months we’ve gotten several really solid, rigorous research papers that demonstrated our previous understanding of Tyrannosaurus life history was probably wrong. This comprehensive histology work demonstrates it grew at about half the rate we previously thought!
The tyrannosaur papers will continue until morale improves
HEY guys -- you know what we need? Another paper on ontogeny and systematics in Tyrannosaurus! This one was in review at the same time as Zanno & Napoli 2025 on #Nanotyrannus and includes an addendum that discusses overlap in conclusions. Also: 'T rex species complex' .... peerj.com/articles/204...
Prolonged growth and extended subadult development in the Tyrannosaurus rex species complex revealed by expanded histological sampling and statistical modeling
Background Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the most iconic non-avialan dinosaurs, remains a central focus of paleobiological research. Growth modeling suggests T. rex exceeded 8,000 kg within two decades an...
peerj.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:55 PM
The tyrannosaur papers will continue until morale improves
The world is full of wonders paleobiodb.org/classic/basi...
PBDB Taxon
Full reference: R. S. Miles and T. S. Westoll. 1962. IX.—Two New Genera of Coccosteid Arthrodira from the Middle Old Red Sandstone of Scotland, and their Stratigraphical Distribution. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 65(9):179-210
paleobiodb.org
January 14, 2026 at 12:45 AM
The world is full of wonders paleobiodb.org/classic/basi...
Reposted
The abundance and diversity of penetrative tracks: a critical re-evaluation of theropod ichnotaxa: Historical Biology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The abundance and diversity of penetrative tracks: a critical re-evaluation of theropod ichnotaxa
Tetrapod ichnotaxonomy aims to classify tracks based on features that reflect trackmaker anatomy. Consequently, distinct ichnotaxa are assumed to represent distinct (though often unidentified) biol...
www.tandfonline.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:46 PM
The abundance and diversity of penetrative tracks: a critical re-evaluation of theropod ichnotaxa: Historical Biology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
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This morning I saw a post w/photos of Smithsonian paleontologist Charles Gilmore, and it dislodged a thought from my brain: I *still* use the dude's work, 80 years after his last paper. Why? Because he published copious data - measurements, solid morphological descriptions, great photos. <thread>
January 13, 2026 at 3:28 PM
This morning I saw a post w/photos of Smithsonian paleontologist Charles Gilmore, and it dislodged a thought from my brain: I *still* use the dude's work, 80 years after his last paper. Why? Because he published copious data - measurements, solid morphological descriptions, great photos. <thread>
New purchase arrived in the mail
January 12, 2026 at 10:34 PM
New purchase arrived in the mail
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stepped outside for a vibe check and saw a beast fuckin hauling ass towards Bethlehem
January 12, 2026 at 4:31 AM
stepped outside for a vibe check and saw a beast fuckin hauling ass towards Bethlehem