James Ashway
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jamesashway.bsky.social
James Ashway
@jamesashway.bsky.social
96 followers 120 following 85 posts
Science news @nhm-london.bsky.social ✍️ | CT editor for @dwasonline.bsky.social 📝 | All views my own
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jamesashway.bsky.social
Deep inside a 400-million-year-old fossil plant was an even smaller fossil - the remains of a tiny fungus that was sharing nutrients with it!

www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient fossil reveals how plants and fungi first developed on land | Natural History Museum
A new fossil fungus discovered in Scotland shows evidence of plants and fungi sharing nutrients to survive on land.
www.nhm.ac.uk
November 12, 2025 at 4:18 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
New species alert! 🚨

Paradoxophidion richardoweni is a 37-million-year-old snake found near Christchurch - and it might reveal more about how the majority of living snakes evolved.

Discover what it reveals 👇
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
“Weird” new species of ancient fossil snake discovered in southern England | Natural History Museum
An extinct snake named Paradoxophidion richardoweni has slithered its way out of obscurity.
www.nhm.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Various articles on the go at the moment, but here's a couple that have come out recently!

First up, it was a pleasure to sit down with Hamza Yassin for a chat ahead of his recent TV series:
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/ham...
Hamza Yassin discusses filming wildlife and inspiring the next generation | Natural History Museum
The wildlife cameraman and presenter discusses how understanding nature is crucial to his work.
www.nhm.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 4:06 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
This was fun to find out about - stinkbugs stop wasps getting to their eggs by carrying fungus around!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Stinkbugs have evolved fungus-filled leg organs to protect their eggs | Natural History Museum
The unique organ was initially thought to be used for hearing, but actually carries a fungal ally around.
www.nhm.ac.uk
October 20, 2025 at 7:55 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Bit of a worrying topic to write about this week - but there are at least some signs of hope:
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
We’re reaching Earth’s climate tipping points, and more are on the way | Natural History Museum
Shifts in Earth’s climate and ecosystems will have untold consequences for billions of people across the world.
www.nhm.ac.uk
October 16, 2025 at 3:54 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Have gotten a bit behind on posting my articles, but here's what I've been working on recently!

First up, Mesozoic South American insects stuck in amber have been found for the first time ever!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient insects trapped in amber discovered in South America for the first time | Natural History Museum
Insects that lived alongside the dinosaurs have been discovered in Ecuador.
www.nhm.ac.uk
October 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Forgot to post about this last week, but an amazing new pachycephalosaur has been found!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
New dome-headed dinosaur species is the most complete pachycephalosaur ever found | Natural History Museum
Zavacephale rinpoche is the oldest and most complete pachycephalosaur ever found.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 22, 2025 at 8:34 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
They're everywhere when you go to the beach, but there's a lot we don't know about seaweeds!

A new review suggests that their structure, which results in their sometimes colourful patterns, could be useful for all kinds of things:
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Seaweed cells could give solar panels a boost | Natural History Museum
Seaweed growing along the world’s coastlines could help to inspire new materials.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 12, 2025 at 11:16 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Its name may be a bit of a mouthful, but this new species is a landmark in our understanding of how lizards, snakes and rhyncocephalians evolved!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Newly found fossils of lizard-like animal are the oldest ever discovered | Natural History Museum
An extinct species known as Agriodontosaurus helsbypetrae has revealed new twists in the tale of lizards and their relatives.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 11, 2025 at 3:03 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Prochlorococcus is a fundamental part of life in the ocean - but it's not as heat-resistant as first thought...
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Climate change threatens major oxygen-producing bacteria | Natural History Museum
One of the world's most common microbes isn’t immune to the effect of climate change.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 8, 2025 at 3:38 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Thumbnails might seem common to us, but they're not that common in mammals as a whole!

New research delved into what rodents are using theirs for 👇
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
How thumbnails helped rodents to spread all over the world | Natural History Museum
The overlooked thumbs of rodents are key to understanding the lives of mice, rats and more.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Last but not least from the NHM field trip to Morocco - we visited a lake which had dried up after its water dwindled away.

It's a sight that could become more common around the world as a result of climate change, but there are ways to turn things around 👇
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mor...
The Moroccan lake on the front line of the climate crisis | Natural History Museum
Lake Aoua dried up after the source of its water dwindled, but there are plans to restore the lake to its former glory.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Is the commercial fossil trade a help or hindrance for palaeontologists?

It's a tricky issue, and every scientist has a different answer. I spoke to some of them about their views, which you can delve into here 👇
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/din...
Dinosaur auctions: Is it right to have fossils for sale? | Natural History Museum
Discover why the commercial fossil trade isn’t simply black and white.
www.nhm.ac.uk
September 3, 2025 at 10:38 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Want to find out how everyone's new favourite dinosaur #Spicomellus went from fossil to famous?

My new article focuses on how @tweetisaurus.bsky.social tracked its bones down from a fossil dealer in Cambridge to Morocco's Middle Atlas mountains... 🧵(1/4)
Scrub grows across the sides of rocky mountain slopes which stretch up towards a blue, cloudless sky.
August 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Not quite as cheery as yesterday's fossil news, but a good story for anyone fond of an ancient mystery:
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient human skeleton reveals 12,000-year-old conflict in southeast Asia | Natural History Museum
Some of the world’s oldest evidence of human violence has been discovered in Vietnam.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 28, 2025 at 3:20 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
It's finally here!

Meet Spicomellus - one of the world's strangest dinosaurs! After being named in 2021, many questions remained about what this ankylosaur looked like.

So, in 2023, I was part of an NHM content contingent who followed @tweetisaurus.bsky.social up into the Atlas Mountains...
A reconstruction of Spicomellus, a four-legged armoured dinosaur with large spikes running along its back and sides. It has a spiked end to its tail and a large collar of spikes around its neck.
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
What's inside Bennu? Not exactly what we expected!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Near-Earth asteroid Bennu contains a unique array of materials from the early solar system | Natural History Museum
Some of the most basic building blocks of the solar system are missing from one of its most dangerous asteroids.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 26, 2025 at 10:16 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
New dinosaur day! Everyone welcome Istiorachis macarthurae!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
New sail-backed dinosaur species unearthed on the Isle of Wight | Natural History Museum
The name of Istiorachis macarthurae honours the sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 22, 2025 at 8:47 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
It turns out samples from Apollo are still being opened - and they're changing what we know about the Moon!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Apollo Moon sample opened after 50 years contains evidence of extraterrestrial landslide | Natural History Museum
Moon rock collected on the last Apollo mission is revealing more about one of the Moon’s most unusual structures, the Light Mantle.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 20, 2025 at 10:33 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Is the lynx due a comeback in the UK? I took a deep dive into the possibility of a reintroduction
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/lyn...
Lynx UK reintroduction: The benefits and challenges of returning carnivores to the British Isles | Natural History Museum
The return of the lynx could help to restore the UK’s countryside, but not everyone is convinced.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 8, 2025 at 2:44 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Historic journeys, cutting-edge science and fish-kissing ceremonies - my latest article has it all!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Sailing in the wake of Scott and Shackleton to protect the warming Antarctic | Natural History Museum
Scientists are retracing the journeys of century-old Antarctic expeditions to discover how the Earth has changed.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 7, 2025 at 3:33 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
There's a glimmer of hope for these threatened starfish
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Starfish-killing bacteria revealed as cause of biggest undersea disease outbreak | Natural History Museum
The cause of sea star wasting disease has been identified, offering hope that the epidemic might be overcome.
www.nhm.ac.uk
August 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
If you're looking for a new fossil favourite, Mirasaura is a strong contender!
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Bizarre new fossil reptile had crest unlike anything seen before | Natural History Museum
Mirasaura grauvogeli is changing our understanding of reptile evolution.
www.nhm.ac.uk
July 25, 2025 at 3:44 PM
jamesashway.bsky.social
Preserved sign of the brain inside a 500-million-year-old fossil could be signs of the oldest known arachnid
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Half-a-billion-year-old fossil could be earliest known arachnid | Natural History Museum
The oldest signs of a spider-like brain have been found in an ancient marine fossil called Mollisonia.
www.nhm.ac.uk
July 25, 2025 at 8:38 AM
jamesashway.bsky.social
One from last week - the dawn of a solar system captured for the first time
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Earliest moments of planet formation seen for the first time | Natural History Museum
Among the hot clouds of gas are signs of the first stage of planets coming into being.
www.nhm.ac.uk
July 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM