Dr. Emma E. Bird
@dremmabird.bsky.social
Palaeoanthropologist @ Natural History Museum, London. Interested in functional adaptation, the biological implications of behaviour, and humans of the late Pleistocene.
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
One week to go! ⚡
Tickets for the Pokémon x Natural History Museum pop-up shop will be available from 10am next Thursday, 20 November.
Tickets for the Pokémon x Natural History Museum pop-up shop will be available from 10am next Thursday, 20 November.
November 13, 2025 at 10:00 AM
One week to go! ⚡
Tickets for the Pokémon x Natural History Museum pop-up shop will be available from 10am next Thursday, 20 November.
Tickets for the Pokémon x Natural History Museum pop-up shop will be available from 10am next Thursday, 20 November.
✨Published✨
Thank you so much to the American School of Prehistoric Research Science, Harvard University, and SAPIENS magazine for supporting my Science Communications Fellowship!
#AcademicSky
Thank you so much to the American School of Prehistoric Research Science, Harvard University, and SAPIENS magazine for supporting my Science Communications Fellowship!
#AcademicSky
“Immersed in dusty archives of personal letters, newspaper clips, and journal articles, I found a history I was not expecting: the influence of personality, politics, and power on scientific interpretation.”
Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/pale...
Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/pale...
November 13, 2025 at 7:58 AM
✨Published✨
Thank you so much to the American School of Prehistoric Research Science, Harvard University, and SAPIENS magazine for supporting my Science Communications Fellowship!
#AcademicSky
Thank you so much to the American School of Prehistoric Research Science, Harvard University, and SAPIENS magazine for supporting my Science Communications Fellowship!
#AcademicSky
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Like a time capsule: a #Roman tile marked with #finger lines, hobnail #shoe prints, #dog's paw prints, and a #stamp of the LEG(io) XIIII G(emina). Tiles with imprints are very common, since tiles were laid out to dry in the open air ahead of firing, where...🧵1/2
#TilesOnTuesday 🏺
#TilesOnTuesday 🏺
November 11, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
The latest issue of PaleoAnthropology is out now!
Volume 2025, Issue 2 #openaccess
📖Read Here: paleoanthropology.org/ojs/index.ph...
#paleoanthropology #humanevolution
Volume 2025, Issue 2 #openaccess
📖Read Here: paleoanthropology.org/ojs/index.ph...
#paleoanthropology #humanevolution
November 6, 2025 at 12:54 PM
The latest issue of PaleoAnthropology is out now!
Volume 2025, Issue 2 #openaccess
📖Read Here: paleoanthropology.org/ojs/index.ph...
#paleoanthropology #humanevolution
Volume 2025, Issue 2 #openaccess
📖Read Here: paleoanthropology.org/ojs/index.ph...
#paleoanthropology #humanevolution
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Young people don't need more "Religious Education" to live in modern world.
If it's inclusion/social cohesion govt is aiming for, then a better approach would be to drop RE, and create new subject Anthropology, on critical thinking, philosophy & belief systems.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
If it's inclusion/social cohesion govt is aiming for, then a better approach would be to drop RE, and create new subject Anthropology, on critical thinking, philosophy & belief systems.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
National curriculum review in England: 10 key recommendations
Proposals include shortening length of GCSE exams, a new diagnostic test in maths and English, and expanding RE
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Young people don't need more "Religious Education" to live in modern world.
If it's inclusion/social cohesion govt is aiming for, then a better approach would be to drop RE, and create new subject Anthropology, on critical thinking, philosophy & belief systems.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
If it's inclusion/social cohesion govt is aiming for, then a better approach would be to drop RE, and create new subject Anthropology, on critical thinking, philosophy & belief systems.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
I wrote an article for the NHM magazine about how we study 💀Neanderthal💀 hand use through functional adaptation and artistic expression ... and what this means for our understanding of survival and extinction
💙 #AcademicSky 🌳 #NaturalHistory 🦴 #HumanEvolution
issuu.com/immediatemed...
💙 #AcademicSky 🌳 #NaturalHistory 🦴 #HumanEvolution
issuu.com/immediatemed...
Natural History Museum Magazine Autumn 2025
issuu.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM
I wrote an article for the NHM magazine about how we study 💀Neanderthal💀 hand use through functional adaptation and artistic expression ... and what this means for our understanding of survival and extinction
💙 #AcademicSky 🌳 #NaturalHistory 🦴 #HumanEvolution
issuu.com/immediatemed...
💙 #AcademicSky 🌳 #NaturalHistory 🦴 #HumanEvolution
issuu.com/immediatemed...
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Funding for students!!
New £6k UCL Anthropology MSc Bursary for Home students:
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
You can also apply to the £10k UCL Bursary at the same time - so if you get both, it should cover all your fees & a chunk of living costs🤞
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
New £6k UCL Anthropology MSc Bursary for Home students:
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
You can also apply to the £10k UCL Bursary at the same time - so if you get both, it should cover all your fees & a chunk of living costs🤞
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
Julia Scott Memorial Bursary
The aim of the Julia Scott Memorial Bursary is intended to enable students in financial need to pursue their postgraduate studies in the Anthropology Department at UCL.
www.ucl.ac.uk
November 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Funding for students!!
New £6k UCL Anthropology MSc Bursary for Home students:
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
You can also apply to the £10k UCL Bursary at the same time - so if you get both, it should cover all your fees & a chunk of living costs🤞
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
New £6k UCL Anthropology MSc Bursary for Home students:
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
You can also apply to the £10k UCL Bursary at the same time - so if you get both, it should cover all your fees & a chunk of living costs🤞
www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
We are accepting 𝗥𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 8 December 2025.
Full details/application at www.royalarchinst.org/grants
𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 8 December 2025.
Full details/application at www.royalarchinst.org/grants
Grants
Each year the Royal Archaeological Institute offers funds for research. Find out more about eligibility criteria and our different funding opportunities.
www.royalarchinst.org
October 30, 2025 at 5:30 PM
We are accepting 𝗥𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 8 December 2025.
Full details/application at www.royalarchinst.org/grants
𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 8 December 2025.
Full details/application at www.royalarchinst.org/grants
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
OMG this is a good catch. We wrestled with this a long time ago when setting up Slice Geometry. The correct way to set slice spacing (pixel spacing in z) from a DICOM is to use the slice position info (0020,1041 or 0020,0032) and divide by (stack size - 1). It can be out by not much or quite a bit.
Analysis of 985(!!) baboon skulls' CT scan data from MorphoSource shows that >18% have slice spacing errors that propagate to downstream analyses-- an important cautionary tale on checking CT metadata vs. errors, and a goliath effort: peerj.com/articles/201...
Easier said than done: unexpected hurdles to preparing ∼1,000 cranial CT scans for data collection from an online digital repository
Background As science becomes more open and accessible, researchers are increasingly encouraged—and sometimes required—to share their digital data on public repositories. While this promotes transpare...
peerj.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:34 AM
OMG this is a good catch. We wrestled with this a long time ago when setting up Slice Geometry. The correct way to set slice spacing (pixel spacing in z) from a DICOM is to use the slice position info (0020,1041 or 0020,0032) and divide by (stack size - 1). It can be out by not much or quite a bit.
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
#OnThisDay in 2004, we were introduced to "a stranger from Flores," a new species of human called Homo floresiensis. @chrisbstringer.bsky.social's thoughts at the time on the big (or small) surprise: go.nature.com/34s9xbM 🏺🧪
October 28, 2025 at 11:12 AM
#OnThisDay in 2004, we were introduced to "a stranger from Flores," a new species of human called Homo floresiensis. @chrisbstringer.bsky.social's thoughts at the time on the big (or small) surprise: go.nature.com/34s9xbM 🏺🧪
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
About half of Americans believe ghosts and demons are real, according to a 2020 poll. An English scholar explores the literary record to uncover how people have imagined ghosts and demons — and what sets them apart. buff.ly/FuYV4Dv #Halloween 👻
What’s the difference between ghosts and demons? Books, folklore and history reflect society’s supernatural beliefs
Artists often turn to the supernatural to reflect on and speak to the anxieties brought about by social, religious and political upheaval.
buff.ly
October 28, 2025 at 8:06 AM
About half of Americans believe ghosts and demons are real, according to a 2020 poll. An English scholar explores the literary record to uncover how people have imagined ghosts and demons — and what sets them apart. buff.ly/FuYV4Dv #Halloween 👻
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
On #NationalPumpkinDay, learn more about how pumpkin, squash, and gourds would likely have gone the way of the dodo were it not for humans domesticating them. https://scim.ag/3J7LNRl
October 26, 2025 at 7:45 PM
On #NationalPumpkinDay, learn more about how pumpkin, squash, and gourds would likely have gone the way of the dodo were it not for humans domesticating them. https://scim.ag/3J7LNRl
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
The skull known as OH 5 was first uncovered by Mary Leakey in 1959, soon became the type fossil of the species Zinjanthropus boisei. Around 1.75 million years old, I'm sure that this individual would have loved pumpkins if they had existed in Africa at the time. #inktober
October 26, 2025 at 11:04 PM
The skull known as OH 5 was first uncovered by Mary Leakey in 1959, soon became the type fossil of the species Zinjanthropus boisei. Around 1.75 million years old, I'm sure that this individual would have loved pumpkins if they had existed in Africa at the time. #inktober
First look 👀 at 🦚Wildlife Photographer🦚 of the Year 61
#WildlifePhotography #Wildlife #NaturalHistory
#WildlifePhotography #Wildlife #NaturalHistory
First look at Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61 | Natural History Museum
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is back, celebrating the most extraordinary life with which we share this planet while spotlighting the many threats they face.
www.nhm.ac.uk
October 24, 2025 at 12:09 PM
First look 👀 at 🦚Wildlife Photographer🦚 of the Year 61
#WildlifePhotography #Wildlife #NaturalHistory
#WildlifePhotography #Wildlife #NaturalHistory
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Hand bones from a human relative, found in Kenya, reveal features similar to those of living gorillas, complicating the evolutionary history of hand and tool manipulation
go.nature.com/4nQn3ff
go.nature.com/4nQn3ff
First known fossil hand of the hominin Paranthropus boisei
Hand bones from a human relative, found in Kenya, reveal features similar to those of living gorillas, complicating the evolutionary history of hand and tool manipulation.
go.nature.com
October 18, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Hand bones from a human relative, found in Kenya, reveal features similar to those of living gorillas, complicating the evolutionary history of hand and tool manipulation
go.nature.com/4nQn3ff
go.nature.com/4nQn3ff
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Measuring antioxidant levels can be tricky, but one study analyzed and quantified them in more than 3,100 foods.
Blueberries, pomegranates, and blackberries top the list for fruits. Cooked artichoke leads vegetables, followed by red kale and red cabbage.
Blueberries, pomegranates, and blackberries top the list for fruits. Cooked artichoke leads vegetables, followed by red kale and red cabbage.
Antioxidants help stave off a host of health problems – but figuring out how much you’re getting can be tricky
Blueberries, walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables head the list, but diversity is the key to getting more antioxidants in your diet.
buff.ly
October 17, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Measuring antioxidant levels can be tricky, but one study analyzed and quantified them in more than 3,100 foods.
Blueberries, pomegranates, and blackberries top the list for fruits. Cooked artichoke leads vegetables, followed by red kale and red cabbage.
Blueberries, pomegranates, and blackberries top the list for fruits. Cooked artichoke leads vegetables, followed by red kale and red cabbage.
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Post-reproductive lifespan in wild mountain gorillas: "Almost one third of females in our study population (7/25) were “postreproductive” according to a commonly used criterion & lived more than a decade past their age of last reproduction, representing at least a fourth of their adult lifespan"
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
October 15, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Post-reproductive lifespan in wild mountain gorillas: "Almost one third of females in our study population (7/25) were “postreproductive” according to a commonly used criterion & lived more than a decade past their age of last reproduction, representing at least a fourth of their adult lifespan"
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Paranthropus boisei is a human fossil cousin w/ giant jaws and teeth that lived in East Africa ~2.6 to 1.3 million years ago. Whether it could make & use tools has been a paleoanthropological mystery since the 1960s. Our new paper describes the first firmly associated hand and foot. 1/
New fossils reveal the hand of Paranthropus boisei - Nature
Analyses of newly discovered hand and foot bones of a Paranthropus boisei specimen provide insight into possible tool use and other palaeobiology characteristics among Plio-Pleistocene hominin species...
www.nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Paranthropus boisei is a human fossil cousin w/ giant jaws and teeth that lived in East Africa ~2.6 to 1.3 million years ago. Whether it could make & use tools has been a paleoanthropological mystery since the 1960s. Our new paper describes the first firmly associated hand and foot. 1/
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
“Women-led papers were more likely to be featured in local outlets than in national, international, or science-specialty media. They appeared more often in liberal-leaning outlets than conservative ones. And coverage of their work carried a more negative tone”
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
When women researchers publish, media attention doesn’t always follow
Men-led papers receive more media coverage than women’s, new study finds
www.science.org
October 10, 2025 at 7:22 AM
“Women-led papers were more likely to be featured in local outlets than in national, international, or science-specialty media. They appeared more often in liberal-leaning outlets than conservative ones. And coverage of their work carried a more negative tone”
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Fancy some bog porridge this #WorldPorridgeDay?
This is a photomicrograph of the 2,400-year-old gut contents of the Tollund Man; whose body was preserved after being deposited in a Danish bog.
It shows his last meal consisted of porridge and some fish.
(£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
This is a photomicrograph of the 2,400-year-old gut contents of the Tollund Man; whose body was preserved after being deposited in a Danish bog.
It shows his last meal consisted of porridge and some fish.
(£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
October 10, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Fancy some bog porridge this #WorldPorridgeDay?
This is a photomicrograph of the 2,400-year-old gut contents of the Tollund Man; whose body was preserved after being deposited in a Danish bog.
It shows his last meal consisted of porridge and some fish.
(£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
This is a photomicrograph of the 2,400-year-old gut contents of the Tollund Man; whose body was preserved after being deposited in a Danish bog.
It shows his last meal consisted of porridge and some fish.
(£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
At least 100 out of 1,000 well-known archaeological sites around Sudan have already been destroyed so far, especially through the use of heavy, gold-digging machinery.
allthatsinteresting.com/sudan-jabal-...
allthatsinteresting.com/sudan-jabal-...
Illegal Miners Destroy 2,000-Year-Old Heritage Site In Sudan While Digging For Gold
Hundreds of archaeological sites have been vandalized in a similar fashion by illegal miners across Sudan.
allthatsinteresting.com
October 9, 2025 at 2:50 AM
At least 100 out of 1,000 well-known archaeological sites around Sudan have already been destroyed so far, especially through the use of heavy, gold-digging machinery.
allthatsinteresting.com/sudan-jabal-...
allthatsinteresting.com/sudan-jabal-...
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Awful news from Wales, the St Fagan's Museum has been broken into and prehistoric goldwork has been taken. Its painful to think what objects might now be at risk. Thoughts with the museum team who must be devastated, all speed to the police and a curse on the crooks.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
St Fagans: Bronze Age gold jewellery stolen from musuem
Police are investigating a burglary at St Fagans museum in the early hours of Monday morning.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Awful news from Wales, the St Fagan's Museum has been broken into and prehistoric goldwork has been taken. Its painful to think what objects might now be at risk. Thoughts with the museum team who must be devastated, all speed to the police and a curse on the crooks.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
Everybody makes money out of academic authors except the authors...News.
Wiley is the latest academic publisher to reach a multi-million deal to allow access to its content to AI developers, with no opt out, let alone payment, for the authors who created that content.
Wiley is the latest academic publisher to reach a multi-million deal to allow access to its content to AI developers, with no opt out, let alone payment, for the authors who created that content.
Wiley set to earn $44m from AI rights deals, confirms “no opt-out" for authors
The US publisher is the latest to capitalise on deals to give tech firms access to its authors’ content to train their Large Language Models (LLMs).
www.thebookseller.com
September 19, 2024 at 10:21 AM
Everybody makes money out of academic authors except the authors...News.
Wiley is the latest academic publisher to reach a multi-million deal to allow access to its content to AI developers, with no opt out, let alone payment, for the authors who created that content.
Wiley is the latest academic publisher to reach a multi-million deal to allow access to its content to AI developers, with no opt out, let alone payment, for the authors who created that content.
Reposted by Dr. Emma E. Bird
We are hiring a Project Co-ordinator! 🚨
Are you extremely organised with great interpersonal skills?
Able to multitask efficiently?
Interested in African prehistory?
Keen to work with an enthusiastic team?
We want to hear from you!
Closing date: 17 October, 2025
Are you extremely organised with great interpersonal skills?
Able to multitask efficiently?
Interested in African prehistory?
Keen to work with an enthusiastic team?
We want to hear from you!
Closing date: 17 October, 2025
Project Coordinator (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a 12-month Project Co-ordinator position on the NG'IPALAJEM project, funded by the ERC. The project aims at collecting new palaeontological, archaeological and geological
www.cam.ac.uk
October 3, 2025 at 11:06 AM
We are hiring a Project Co-ordinator! 🚨
Are you extremely organised with great interpersonal skills?
Able to multitask efficiently?
Interested in African prehistory?
Keen to work with an enthusiastic team?
We want to hear from you!
Closing date: 17 October, 2025
Are you extremely organised with great interpersonal skills?
Able to multitask efficiently?
Interested in African prehistory?
Keen to work with an enthusiastic team?
We want to hear from you!
Closing date: 17 October, 2025