James Saulsbury
@jgsaulsbury.bsky.social
Postdoc at University of Kansas EEB/BI, invertebrate paleobiology
PhD University of Michigan '21
jgsaulsbury.com
https://eeb.ku.edu/people/james-gabriel-saulsbury
PhD University of Michigan '21
jgsaulsbury.com
https://eeb.ku.edu/people/james-gabriel-saulsbury
Pinned
James Saulsbury
@jgsaulsbury.bsky.social
· Aug 25
New paper out in Geology! Cheilostome bryozoans evolved aragonite skeletons dozens of times during the transition from calcite to aragonite seas, in contrast to other marine calcifiers. Fossil occurrence data corroborate the story and help nail down the timeline. doi.org/10.1130/G537...
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Always wonderful to do a bit of bryozoan work with @nhmbryozoa.bsky.social, led by Ma Junye from NIGPAS in Nanjing!
The Incredible Shrinking Bryozoans. Published today, our study of long-term zooid size decrease in the cyclostome form-genus 'Berenicea'. doi: 10.1111/pala.70027
October 9, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Always wonderful to do a bit of bryozoan work with @nhmbryozoa.bsky.social, led by Ma Junye from NIGPAS in Nanjing!
Reposted by James Saulsbury
#FossilFriday Several comatulid crinoids are visible on this small slab from the Middle Jurassic of Wiltshire. An unused image taken for ‘Fossils. The essential guide’.
September 26, 2025 at 5:21 AM
#FossilFriday Several comatulid crinoids are visible on this small slab from the Middle Jurassic of Wiltshire. An unused image taken for ‘Fossils. The essential guide’.
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Cool study showing how the physical forcing of the background geochemistry of oceans, drives multiple convergences in the mineralogy of bryozoans!
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #EvoBio
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #EvoBio
New paper out in Geology! Cheilostome bryozoans evolved aragonite skeletons dozens of times during the transition from calcite to aragonite seas, in contrast to other marine calcifiers. Fossil occurrence data corroborate the story and help nail down the timeline. doi.org/10.1130/G537...
September 21, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by James Saulsbury
We (me, @barankarapunar.bsky.social, @sinjinis.bsky.social and @harriedrage.bsky.social) organized a symposium for the next IPC (Cape Town 2026!) on evolution, diversity and ecology in marine ecosystems throughout the Phanerozoic.
Contact us if you would like to participate or to know more about it!
Contact us if you would like to participate or to know more about it!
Symposia 🔍
Among our 29 themed symposia + 1 open symposium, we are pleased to feature:
✨ Life in the Phanerozoic Oceans: Evolution, diversity and ecology in deep time marine ecosystems✨
📩 To participate in this symposium or get more information, contact the conveners: 👇
Among our 29 themed symposia + 1 open symposium, we are pleased to feature:
✨ Life in the Phanerozoic Oceans: Evolution, diversity and ecology in deep time marine ecosystems✨
📩 To participate in this symposium or get more information, contact the conveners: 👇
September 19, 2025 at 2:39 PM
We (me, @barankarapunar.bsky.social, @sinjinis.bsky.social and @harriedrage.bsky.social) organized a symposium for the next IPC (Cape Town 2026!) on evolution, diversity and ecology in marine ecosystems throughout the Phanerozoic.
Contact us if you would like to participate or to know more about it!
Contact us if you would like to participate or to know more about it!
Reposted by James Saulsbury
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...
New paper out in Geology! Cheilostome bryozoans evolved aragonite skeletons dozens of times during the transition from calcite to aragonite seas, in contrast to other marine calcifiers. Fossil occurrence data corroborate the story and help nail down the timeline. doi.org/10.1130/G537...
August 25, 2025 at 8:07 PM
New paper out in Geology! Cheilostome bryozoans evolved aragonite skeletons dozens of times during the transition from calcite to aragonite seas, in contrast to other marine calcifiers. Fossil occurrence data corroborate the story and help nail down the timeline. doi.org/10.1130/G537...
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Here is our attempt at summarizing the state of the evidence for the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis. The paper is part of a special issue of Paleobiology celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PE Hypothesis. Work led by Gene Hunt. @lhliow.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Punctuated equilibrium: state of the evidence | Paleobiology | Cambridge Core
Punctuated equilibrium: state of the evidence
www.cambridge.org
May 22, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Here is our attempt at summarizing the state of the evidence for the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis. The paper is part of a special issue of Paleobiology celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PE Hypothesis. Work led by Gene Hunt. @lhliow.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
New open access paper out with Tom Baumiller and Jim Sprinkle in Journal of Paleontology! New fossil crinoids from Texas, including a very large and weird new genus of feather star:
doi.org/10.1017/jpa....
doi.org/10.1017/jpa....
New comatulid crinoids from the Early Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation (Texas, USA): paleobiology and evolutionary relationships of an endemic, ephemeral giant | Journal of Paleontology | Cambridge Core
New comatulid crinoids from the Early Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation (Texas, USA): paleobiology and evolutionary relationships of an endemic, ephemeral giant
www.cambridge.org
May 7, 2025 at 6:12 PM
New open access paper out with Tom Baumiller and Jim Sprinkle in Journal of Paleontology! New fossil crinoids from Texas, including a very large and weird new genus of feather star:
doi.org/10.1017/jpa....
doi.org/10.1017/jpa....
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Here's a super helpful site called Signal in the Storm that is automated to keep track of federal policy changes (EO's and Ed dept) and news re: academia. Also includes suggestions on what to do, and a faq's page about indirects, etc. Pls RT!
signalinthestorm.org/index.html
signalinthestorm.org/index.html
Signal in the Storm
signalinthestorm.org
March 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Here's a super helpful site called Signal in the Storm that is automated to keep track of federal policy changes (EO's and Ed dept) and news re: academia. Also includes suggestions on what to do, and a faq's page about indirects, etc. Pls RT!
signalinthestorm.org/index.html
signalinthestorm.org/index.html
Reposted by James Saulsbury
The single most important laboratory in climate science, the tool that is telling us the story of our time, is now in the MAGA crosshairs. Not surprising. But sad, stupid, and tragic in the saddest and stupidest and most tragic way.
The Trump administration is planning to cancel its lease at a government laboratory in Hawaii, a site where scientists support key observations of surging greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, according to a list obtained by Democratic members of Congress and shared with The Post.
Trump moves to close facility that helps track planet-warming pollution
The lab is connected to the Mauna Loa Observatory, where scientists gather data to produce the Keeling Curve, a chart on the daily status of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 14, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The single most important laboratory in climate science, the tool that is telling us the story of our time, is now in the MAGA crosshairs. Not surprising. But sad, stupid, and tragic in the saddest and stupidest and most tragic way.
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Last year @jgsaulsbury.bsky.social led a paper on how Hubbell's Neutral Theory can inform on age-dependency in fossil lineages. #graptolites as an e.g. Now we had another chance to say a bit more to consolidate our observations. Link to first paper in comments www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
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
March 4, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Last year @jgsaulsbury.bsky.social led a paper on how Hubbell's Neutral Theory can inform on age-dependency in fossil lineages. #graptolites as an e.g. Now we had another chance to say a bit more to consolidate our observations. Link to first paper in comments www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
We're back in @pnas.org 🥴 We address a comment on our recent article on fossil survivorship. A nice chance to discuss ad hoc vs. unified models in paleobiology. See what you think 🙂
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reply to Johnson: Holistic evaluation of ecological models in paleobiology | PNAS
Reply to Johnson: Holistic evaluation of ecological models in paleobiology
www.pnas.org
March 3, 2025 at 8:54 PM
We're back in @pnas.org 🥴 We address a comment on our recent article on fossil survivorship. A nice chance to discuss ad hoc vs. unified models in paleobiology. See what you think 🙂
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by James Saulsbury
NSF plans to reinstate all probationary employees who were fired on 18 Feb!
NSF’s decision. 👏🏻👏🏻❤️
NSF’s decision. 👏🏻👏🏻❤️
March 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
NSF plans to reinstate all probationary employees who were fired on 18 Feb!
NSF’s decision. 👏🏻👏🏻❤️
NSF’s decision. 👏🏻👏🏻❤️
Reposted by James Saulsbury
@science.org just published this article about the Paleontological Research Institution and its importance in this time of financial crisis for the institution. Please share widely as donations in any amount can make a real difference in the short-medium term. ⚒️🧪🦑
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Financial peril could doom a famed New York paleontological institute
“Exceptional” fossil collections housed by the Paleontological Research Institute risk being orphaned
www.science.org
February 20, 2025 at 8:13 PM
@science.org just published this article about the Paleontological Research Institution and its importance in this time of financial crisis for the institution. Please share widely as donations in any amount can make a real difference in the short-medium term. ⚒️🧪🦑
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by James Saulsbury
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
February 18, 2025 at 7:57 PM
New paper in Systematic Biology with cool dude @jgsaulsbury.bsky.social academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Colleagues, including my partner, with years of service at the agency. Some Permanent POs reclassified as Probationary. Exceptional scientists who were former professors at major institutions, and came to NSF to serve the community and ensure science thrives in the US.
February 18, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Colleagues, including my partner, with years of service at the agency. Some Permanent POs reclassified as Probationary. Exceptional scientists who were former professors at major institutions, and came to NSF to serve the community and ensure science thrives in the US.
Reposted by James Saulsbury
Graptoloids strike back!
"extinction among young species does not necessarily refute RQ [Red Queen] or require a special explanation but can instead be parsimoniously explained by neutral dynamics operating across species regardless of age"
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
🧪 #Paleobio #EvoBio ⚒️ #Geology
"extinction among young species does not necessarily refute RQ [Red Queen] or require a special explanation but can instead be parsimoniously explained by neutral dynamics operating across species regardless of age"
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
🧪 #Paleobio #EvoBio ⚒️ #Geology
January 2, 2024 at 3:22 PM
Graptoloids strike back!
"extinction among young species does not necessarily refute RQ [Red Queen] or require a special explanation but can instead be parsimoniously explained by neutral dynamics operating across species regardless of age"
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
🧪 #Paleobio #EvoBio ⚒️ #Geology
"extinction among young species does not necessarily refute RQ [Red Queen] or require a special explanation but can instead be parsimoniously explained by neutral dynamics operating across species regardless of age"
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
🧪 #Paleobio #EvoBio ⚒️ #Geology
New📜in PNAS! Age-dependent extinction and the neutral theory of biodiversity (w/ great collaborators @tomopfuku.bsky.social , Connor J. Wilson, Trond Reitan, & Lee Hsiang Liow)
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
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
January 2, 2024 at 3:28 PM
New📜in PNAS! Age-dependent extinction and the neutral theory of biodiversity (w/ great collaborators @tomopfuku.bsky.social , Connor J. Wilson, Trond Reitan, & Lee Hsiang Liow)
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by James Saulsbury
A theoretical eco-evo treatment of the 'living fossils' phenomenon:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
"species occupying the most peripheral niches are the least innovated and have deep divergence times from their closest relatives, and thus they correspond to living fossils."
🧪 #Paleobio
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
"species occupying the most peripheral niches are the least innovated and have deep divergence times from their closest relatives, and thus they correspond to living fossils."
🧪 #Paleobio
November 20, 2023 at 11:19 PM
A theoretical eco-evo treatment of the 'living fossils' phenomenon:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
"species occupying the most peripheral niches are the least innovated and have deep divergence times from their closest relatives, and thus they correspond to living fossils."
🧪 #Paleobio
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
"species occupying the most peripheral niches are the least innovated and have deep divergence times from their closest relatives, and thus they correspond to living fossils."
🧪 #Paleobio