Ziv E. Lieberman
@formicula.bsky.social
ants. emmets. mires 🞚 systematics🞚evolutionary morphology & anatomy🞚 paleoentomology🞚biogeography🞚3D imaging
PhD candidate at UC Davis || views & statements my own
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PhD candidate at UC Davis || views & statements my own
{they|them} ☄
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @daveyfwright.bsky.social @datadryad.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @daveyfwright.bsky.social @datadryad.bsky.social
Dear colleagues,
I'd like to share a short new contribution on the application of highly complex site-heterogeneous models, in particular CAT-GTR, to phylogenomic inference. While this paper arises from a recent publication on the early-branching topology of ants...
I'd like to share a short new contribution on the application of highly complex site-heterogeneous models, in particular CAT-GTR, to phylogenomic inference. While this paper arises from a recent publication on the early-branching topology of ants...
Ant phylogeny is not resolved by the application of site heterogeneous models - Communications Biology
Communications Biology - Ant phylogeny is not resolved by the application of site heterogeneous models
tinyurl.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Dear colleagues,
I'd like to share a short new contribution on the application of highly complex site-heterogeneous models, in particular CAT-GTR, to phylogenomic inference. While this paper arises from a recent publication on the early-branching topology of ants...
I'd like to share a short new contribution on the application of highly complex site-heterogeneous models, in particular CAT-GTR, to phylogenomic inference. While this paper arises from a recent publication on the early-branching topology of ants...
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Out now in Biology Letters, my latest paper tackles an apparently simple question: how many characters are needed to reconstruct a phylogeny? TL;DR: in most cases between 100 and 500, more than a substantial portion of morphological datasets, but the story is more complex... doi.org/10.1098/rsbl...
October 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Out now in Biology Letters, my latest paper tackles an apparently simple question: how many characters are needed to reconstruct a phylogeny? TL;DR: in most cases between 100 and 500, more than a substantial portion of morphological datasets, but the story is more complex... doi.org/10.1098/rsbl...
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Absolutely beautiful figures in this one
I am extremely happy to see that our review on fossil tip-dating is out in early view in Systematic Biology! A huge thanks to all the authors of this massive project (@heckeberg.bsky.social, @basantakhakurel.bsky.social, Gustavo Darlim, and @hoehna.bsky.social)! academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...
September 26, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Absolutely beautiful figures in this one
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Here is a confocal stack of a clonal raider ant antenna from first author and FISHerman extraordinaire Giacomo Glotzer. You can see the densely packed cell bodies of olfactory sensory neurons, along with fluorescent signal from two different odorant receptors and an intergenic region.
September 19, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Here is a confocal stack of a clonal raider ant antenna from first author and FISHerman extraordinaire Giacomo Glotzer. You can see the densely packed cell bodies of olfactory sensory neurons, along with fluorescent signal from two different odorant receptors and an intergenic region.
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
super excited to share this big project with @daeaton.bsky.social out now in Systematic Biology! We derived distributions for -- given an arbitrary species tree model -- how far you have to move along a genome before observing a change in the underlying genealogy: doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Estimating waiting distances between genealogy changes under a Multi-Species Extension of the Sequentially Markov Coalescent
Abstract. Genomes are composed of a mosaic of segments inherited from different ancestors, each separated by past recombination events. Consequently, genea
doi.org
September 11, 2025 at 7:36 PM
super excited to share this big project with @daeaton.bsky.social out now in Systematic Biology! We derived distributions for -- given an arbitrary species tree model -- how far you have to move along a genome before observing a change in the underlying genealogy: doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Excited to share a new paper! "Sorting of ancestral polymorphism and its impact on morphological phylogenetics and macroevolution". Part of some work I've been doing on modelling the evolution of polymorphic traits in fossil echinoderms.
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Sorting of ancestral polymorphism and its impact on morphological phylogenetics and macroevolution
Abstract. Intraspecific phenotypic variation provides the basic substrate upon which the evolutionary processes that give rise to morphological innovation,
academic.oup.com
September 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Excited to share a new paper! "Sorting of ancestral polymorphism and its impact on morphological phylogenetics and macroevolution". Part of some work I've been doing on modelling the evolution of polymorphic traits in fossil echinoderms.
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
International shipments and museum loans: some helpful, aggravating notes from Chris on the ECN listserv that I'm leaving here for future reference.
![The Privacy Act and Reducation [sic] act do not supercede the laws in 50 CFR (14,etc). Guidelines written on the eDec instructions may have been followed 30 or even 5 years ago, but today boxes without a 3-177 document attached on the outside are being siezed and destroyed by CBP and USFWS, especially coming through the NY office. CAS has lost one package from China already. When they sieze a package they do not notify you, rather they wait 180 days until the grace period has expired for us to submit a 3-177, and then notify you of your violation and seizure. Our petitionthrough the NY district court was met with silence.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ywua4qjetzwsq5hzyty3exua/bafkreighwarbj5ao4jowsfzayh2zsjogi56mwbhkdsralan3cl3m24dbbu@jpeg)
August 28, 2025 at 4:56 PM
International shipments and museum loans: some helpful, aggravating notes from Chris on the ECN listserv that I'm leaving here for future reference.
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Arrived at Powdermill to give a talk about fungus beetles, they have truly rolled out the red carpet
June 14, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Arrived at Powdermill to give a talk about fungus beetles, they have truly rolled out the red carpet
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
1)
Branching morphogenesis is fundamental to animal development, shaping complex organs like lungs, kidneys, and vascular networks. Gills are another highly branched organ. Yet, the developmental processes behind gill formation in zebrafish remain poorly understood.
#zebrafish #gills #microscopy
Branching morphogenesis is fundamental to animal development, shaping complex organs like lungs, kidneys, and vascular networks. Gills are another highly branched organ. Yet, the developmental processes behind gill formation in zebrafish remain poorly understood.
#zebrafish #gills #microscopy
June 6, 2025 at 4:12 PM
1)
Branching morphogenesis is fundamental to animal development, shaping complex organs like lungs, kidneys, and vascular networks. Gills are another highly branched organ. Yet, the developmental processes behind gill formation in zebrafish remain poorly understood.
#zebrafish #gills #microscopy
Branching morphogenesis is fundamental to animal development, shaping complex organs like lungs, kidneys, and vascular networks. Gills are another highly branched organ. Yet, the developmental processes behind gill formation in zebrafish remain poorly understood.
#zebrafish #gills #microscopy
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Mesquite 4 beta released! Many new features, esp. phylogenomic. Check out the trailer and longer video on the home page: www.mesquiteproject.org, and use the download link there to get a copy.
Feedback welcome! Ask and discuss on our new Google Group (groups.google.com/g/mesquite-p...).
Feedback welcome! Ask and discuss on our new Google Group (groups.google.com/g/mesquite-p...).
May 23, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Mesquite 4 beta released! Many new features, esp. phylogenomic. Check out the trailer and longer video on the home page: www.mesquiteproject.org, and use the download link there to get a copy.
Feedback welcome! Ask and discuss on our new Google Group (groups.google.com/g/mesquite-p...).
Feedback welcome! Ask and discuss on our new Google Group (groups.google.com/g/mesquite-p...).
Mmmmmmmmm models
📢 Tired of choosing between fossils to incorporate into your phylogenetic analysis? Us too.
💥 Check out our new preprint on incorporating stratigraphic ranges into the FBD model, implemented in BEAST2. We explore how using ranges affects the inference of dog 🐶 and penguin 🐧 trees 🌳
💥 Check out our new preprint on incorporating stratigraphic ranges into the FBD model, implemented in BEAST2. We explore how using ranges affects the inference of dog 🐶 and penguin 🐧 trees 🌳
Enhancing Evolutionary Timelines: The Impact of Stratigraphic Range Information on Phylogenetic Inference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.17.649084v1
April 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Mmmmmmmmm models
@apsciencebylyn.bsky.social important taxonomic question: are dryinids mopes, gargoyles, or something else entirely?
April 23, 2025 at 3:29 AM
@apsciencebylyn.bsky.social important taxonomic question: are dryinids mopes, gargoyles, or something else entirely?
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Our global phylogeny of Eurytomidae is now published in Systematic Entomology @respublications.bsky.social
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
April 18, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Our global phylogeny of Eurytomidae is now published in Systematic Entomology @respublications.bsky.social
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Anyone know how to specify priors on exchangeabilities and stationary frequencies for GTR in BASEML (PAML)? o.o
April 20, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Anyone know how to specify priors on exchangeabilities and stationary frequencies for GTR in BASEML (PAML)? o.o
!
Not really my announcement to make--I am but a lesser co-author--but IQ-TREE 3 has just been released!
(Most credit to Minh Bui and @roblanfear.bsky.social and their labs)
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
(Most credit to Minh Bui and @roblanfear.bsky.social and their labs)
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
IQ-TREE 3: Phylogenomic Inference Software using Complex Evolutionary Models
ecoevorxiv.org
April 10, 2025 at 8:33 PM
!
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
BREAKING NEWS: DIRE SEA CUCUMBER OFFICIALLY DE-EXTINCTED! These incredible predators were once feared throughout the Pleistocene landscape by even the mightiest of slowly falling marine detritus particles
April 8, 2025 at 11:15 PM
BREAKING NEWS: DIRE SEA CUCUMBER OFFICIALLY DE-EXTINCTED! These incredible predators were once feared throughout the Pleistocene landscape by even the mightiest of slowly falling marine detritus particles
I feel like I once saw a flowchart for determining the nomenclatural gender of a genus-group name according to the ICZN. . .anyone have an idea of where this might have been published or posted?
March 30, 2025 at 3:29 AM
I feel like I once saw a flowchart for determining the nomenclatural gender of a genus-group name according to the ICZN. . .anyone have an idea of where this might have been published or posted?
Y'all, I got BEAST2 problems.
Is anyone BEAST-savvy and would be willing to talk through some issues? I am specifically trying to set up a skyline FBD (unresolved) and am hitting the wall from a mix of total-group, stem, and crown fossil constraints, and a fixed extant topology.
Is anyone BEAST-savvy and would be willing to talk through some issues? I am specifically trying to set up a skyline FBD (unresolved) and am hitting the wall from a mix of total-group, stem, and crown fossil constraints, and a fixed extant topology.
March 25, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Y'all, I got BEAST2 problems.
Is anyone BEAST-savvy and would be willing to talk through some issues? I am specifically trying to set up a skyline FBD (unresolved) and am hitting the wall from a mix of total-group, stem, and crown fossil constraints, and a fixed extant topology.
Is anyone BEAST-savvy and would be willing to talk through some issues? I am specifically trying to set up a skyline FBD (unresolved) and am hitting the wall from a mix of total-group, stem, and crown fossil constraints, and a fixed extant topology.
Anyone know their way around MACSE and might be able to help with a few (probably silly) questions? Same with HyPhy :3
March 20, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Anyone know their way around MACSE and might be able to help with a few (probably silly) questions? Same with HyPhy :3
I'm an uncomplicated person - I see a paper by Parins-Fukuchi, I read it.
Another great piece of research with much to chew on!
Another great piece of research with much to chew on!
New paper in Systematic Biology with cool dude @jgsaulsbury.bsky.social academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...
The consequences of budding speciation on trees
Abstract. Paleobiologists have long sought to explain how alternative modes of speciation, including budding and bifurcating cladogenesis, shape patterns o
academic.oup.com
March 12, 2025 at 3:22 AM
I'm an uncomplicated person - I see a paper by Parins-Fukuchi, I read it.
Another great piece of research with much to chew on!
Another great piece of research with much to chew on!
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
Just a girl and her bundle of baby clones she's wearing like an ass turban 🥹
My population of Schizomida (parthenogenic tailless whipscorpions) are so happy in their box of dirt. As always, tending a box of dirt is such a good decision and I recommend it.
My population of Schizomida (parthenogenic tailless whipscorpions) are so happy in their box of dirt. As always, tending a box of dirt is such a good decision and I recommend it.
February 22, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Just a girl and her bundle of baby clones she's wearing like an ass turban 🥹
My population of Schizomida (parthenogenic tailless whipscorpions) are so happy in their box of dirt. As always, tending a box of dirt is such a good decision and I recommend it.
My population of Schizomida (parthenogenic tailless whipscorpions) are so happy in their box of dirt. As always, tending a box of dirt is such a good decision and I recommend it.
Reposted by Ziv E. Lieberman
most field biologists at least a few years in are sitting on dozens of cool discoveries and undescribed species, and it totally tears us up inside every day. we don't generally get paid to write about them and our jobs make us tired for nearly no money. it's like if your hobby was more working
February 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
most field biologists at least a few years in are sitting on dozens of cool discoveries and undescribed species, and it totally tears us up inside every day. we don't generally get paid to write about them and our jobs make us tired for nearly no money. it's like if your hobby was more working
Intriguing approach and potential applications!
How do you measure what isn't there?
Elska did a fantastic job leading this paper on how we can measure the volume of changing, 3D spaces inside XROMM skeletal animations. And, importantly, how good are those volume measurements?
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
Elska did a fantastic job leading this paper on how we can measure the volume of changing, 3D spaces inside XROMM skeletal animations. And, importantly, how good are those volume measurements?
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
February 22, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Intriguing approach and potential applications!
Long shot, but does anyone have a .pdf of Zhang, J.; Sun, B.; Zhang, X. 1994. Miocene insects and spiders from Shanwang, Shandong. Beijing: Science Press?
I've been unable to get a library copy! Alternately, if you have it and could just scan a few pages, that would be amazing!
I've been unable to get a library copy! Alternately, if you have it and could just scan a few pages, that would be amazing!
February 19, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Long shot, but does anyone have a .pdf of Zhang, J.; Sun, B.; Zhang, X. 1994. Miocene insects and spiders from Shanwang, Shandong. Beijing: Science Press?
I've been unable to get a library copy! Alternately, if you have it and could just scan a few pages, that would be amazing!
I've been unable to get a library copy! Alternately, if you have it and could just scan a few pages, that would be amazing!