Jamie Wood
@larusnz.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer @ University of Adelaide; Researcher with the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, interests in palaeoecology, cave sediments, coprolites, environmental DNA, extinction and evolution
Exciting times in the ancient DNA lab today, helping student to sample some very old Australian scats!
Age, depositor and content TBC.
Age, depositor and content TBC.
October 16, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Exciting times in the ancient DNA lab today, helping student to sample some very old Australian scats!
Age, depositor and content TBC.
Age, depositor and content TBC.
A favourite from my collection of signed natural history books. The inscription pretty much says it all.
October 2, 2025 at 8:44 AM
A favourite from my collection of signed natural history books. The inscription pretty much says it all.
Reposted by Jamie Wood
Introducing the SeDNAs Members Starter Pack 🧬
Connect with fellow members of the society, grow your eDNA network, and spark new collaborations!
Comment below or message to be added to the pack
go.bsky.app/GBwDbax
Connect with fellow members of the society, grow your eDNA network, and spark new collaborations!
Comment below or message to be added to the pack
go.bsky.app/GBwDbax
July 8, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Introducing the SeDNAs Members Starter Pack 🧬
Connect with fellow members of the society, grow your eDNA network, and spark new collaborations!
Comment below or message to be added to the pack
go.bsky.app/GBwDbax
Connect with fellow members of the society, grow your eDNA network, and spark new collaborations!
Comment below or message to be added to the pack
go.bsky.app/GBwDbax
Reposted by Jamie Wood
Welcome to the world Rēkohu shelduck. You can check out our #openaccess paper about this new extinct duck from the Chatham Islands here (academic.oup.com/.../article/...) & make sure to read our @aunz.theconversation.com piece theconversation.com/the-discover... 1/4
The discovery of an extinct shelduck highlights the rich ancient biodiversity of the remote Rēkohu Chatham Islands
Many birds on Rēkohu Chatham Islands show how ‘island syndrome’ influences evolution – they are distinct but remain closely related to species on the mainland.
theconversation.com
August 13, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Welcome to the world Rēkohu shelduck. You can check out our #openaccess paper about this new extinct duck from the Chatham Islands here (academic.oup.com/.../article/...) & make sure to read our @aunz.theconversation.com piece theconversation.com/the-discover... 1/4
New Zealand birds never fail to amaze. The extinct Hodgen's rail, thought to be a diminutive relative of the Australian waterhen, turns out instead to be a giant crake!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📷: Paul Martinson, Te Papa CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📷: Paul Martinson, Te Papa CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
August 4, 2025 at 3:53 AM
New Zealand birds never fail to amaze. The extinct Hodgen's rail, thought to be a diminutive relative of the Australian waterhen, turns out instead to be a giant crake!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📷: Paul Martinson, Te Papa CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📷: Paul Martinson, Te Papa CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Word has got around that we have a new sack of bird seed
July 30, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Word has got around that we have a new sack of bird seed
Reposted by Jamie Wood
🧬 📜 New paper alert! 📜 🧬
We review recent literature that use ancient DNA methods in the analysis of archeological artefacts. We hope this will be a useful resource to improve the inclusion of ancient DNA methods into the study of ancient artefacts.
1/🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We review recent literature that use ancient DNA methods in the analysis of archeological artefacts. We hope this will be a useful resource to improve the inclusion of ancient DNA methods into the study of ancient artefacts.
1/🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The necessity for authentication of ancient DNA from archaeological artefacts
The study of ancient DNA (aDNA) has revolutionised the fields of archaeology, human evolution and paleoecology, offering new insights into the past. I…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 30, 2025 at 12:47 AM
🧬 📜 New paper alert! 📜 🧬
We review recent literature that use ancient DNA methods in the analysis of archeological artefacts. We hope this will be a useful resource to improve the inclusion of ancient DNA methods into the study of ancient artefacts.
1/🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We review recent literature that use ancient DNA methods in the analysis of archeological artefacts. We hope this will be a useful resource to improve the inclusion of ancient DNA methods into the study of ancient artefacts.
1/🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The necessity for authentication of ancient DNA from archaeological artefacts
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6eR1CVARMk...
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6eR1CVARMk...
July 29, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The necessity for authentication of ancient DNA from archaeological artefacts
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6eR1CVARMk...
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6eR1CVARMk...
Ancient DNA and morphometrics reveal a new species of extinct insular shelduck from Rēkohu Chatham Islands
Ancient DNA and morphometrics reveal a new species of extinct insular shelduck from Rēkohu Chatham Islands
Abstract. The Rēkohu Chatham Islands, 785 km east of mainland Aotearoa New Zealand, exhibit high levels of species endemism. Prior to human settlement, the
academic.oup.com
July 25, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Ancient DNA and morphometrics reveal a new species of extinct insular shelduck from Rēkohu Chatham Islands
Parasite extinctions in threatened species may be far more prevalent than previous estimates suggest. Our new study of kākāpō dung spanning from ~1,500 years ago to present, finds >80% of parasite species were lost as the host species declined.
Long-term parasite decline associated with near extinction and conservation of the critically endangered kākāpō parrot
Boast et al. analyze a unique fecal record of the endangered kākāpō parrot to reveal
>800 years of changing parasite communities. Parasite losses occur during the species’
decline to near extinction a...
www.cell.com
July 24, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Parasite extinctions in threatened species may be far more prevalent than previous estimates suggest. Our new study of kākāpō dung spanning from ~1,500 years ago to present, finds >80% of parasite species were lost as the host species declined.
Antlions have a fascinating lifecycle. Their larvae look nothing like the adults, dig pits in sand, and predate small invertebrates (hence their name).
July 24, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Antlions have a fascinating lifecycle. Their larvae look nothing like the adults, dig pits in sand, and predate small invertebrates (hence their name).
Wonderful to be at Fowler’s Gap, NSW, for a couple of days fieldwork - a really stunning variety of landscapes.
July 23, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Wonderful to be at Fowler’s Gap, NSW, for a couple of days fieldwork - a really stunning variety of landscapes.
Picking through some arid zone barn owl material today. Lots of small mammal bones, but a surprising amount of frog as well.
July 17, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Picking through some arid zone barn owl material today. Lots of small mammal bones, but a surprising amount of frog as well.
Fun fact: If you stretched all the DNA in a human body out into a line, then started at one end driving at 100km/hr, it would take you 68,493 years to reach the other end. Alternatively, if you traveled at light speed, you could get there in just 27.36 hours.
July 10, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Fun fact: If you stretched all the DNA in a human body out into a line, then started at one end driving at 100km/hr, it would take you 68,493 years to reach the other end. Alternatively, if you traveled at light speed, you could get there in just 27.36 hours.
A laptop case and a warm lamp. What more could a cat wish for on a bleak rainy Adelaide day.
July 9, 2025 at 3:03 AM
A laptop case and a warm lamp. What more could a cat wish for on a bleak rainy Adelaide day.
The more we learn about the Nullarbor's landscape, biodiversity and history, the clearer it becomes that this is a unique and special place. Somewhere worthy of protection, not just for Australia, but for the world.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Scientists sound the alarm for Nullarbor’s fragile limestone caves and unique underground creatures
A massive renewable energy project threatens the treasures that lie beneath, including rare cave animals and a record of ancient life forms, experts warn
www.theguardian.com
June 25, 2025 at 5:24 AM
The more we learn about the Nullarbor's landscape, biodiversity and history, the clearer it becomes that this is a unique and special place. Somewhere worthy of protection, not just for Australia, but for the world.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Impressive work - The number of recognised genera of Australo-Papuan treefrogs has just been increased from 3 to 35!
academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
June 19, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Impressive work - The number of recognised genera of Australo-Papuan treefrogs has just been increased from 3 to 35!
academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Reposted by Jamie Wood
Stoked to finally see this one out in the wide world: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Tube-nosed #seabirds in #Aotearoa #NewZealand have been largely driven extinct on the mainland, since the arrival of humans. Our paper shows just how dramatic this collapse likely was...(1/4)
Tube-nosed #seabirds in #Aotearoa #NewZealand have been largely driven extinct on the mainland, since the arrival of humans. Our paper shows just how dramatic this collapse likely was...(1/4)
Burrowing Into the Past: Extending Niche Space Models of Procellariiform Breeding Grounds by Merging Fossil and Historic Data
Aim Predicting species' potential distributions and niches requires multi-scale data encompassing the past and present. Increasingly, researchers have advocated using historical context to inform ec...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 5, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Stoked to finally see this one out in the wide world: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Tube-nosed #seabirds in #Aotearoa #NewZealand have been largely driven extinct on the mainland, since the arrival of humans. Our paper shows just how dramatic this collapse likely was...(1/4)
Tube-nosed #seabirds in #Aotearoa #NewZealand have been largely driven extinct on the mainland, since the arrival of humans. Our paper shows just how dramatic this collapse likely was...(1/4)
Reposted by Jamie Wood
The FIRST International Conference on Palaeogenomics will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, June 23-26, 2026!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
May 27, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The FIRST International Conference on Palaeogenomics will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, June 23-26, 2026!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
Burrowing Into the Past: Extending Niche Space Models of Procellariiform Breeding Grounds by Merging Fossil and Historic Data doi.org/10.1111/ddi....
May 26, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Burrowing Into the Past: Extending Niche Space Models of Procellariiform Breeding Grounds by Merging Fossil and Historic Data doi.org/10.1111/ddi....
🧬 Introducing Environmental DNA, a free event for those in industry, government, and NGOs who are new to eDNA.
📍 National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide
📅 Thursday, 26th June 2025, 9am – 5pm
🎟 Free (limited spots available)
Register now: lnkd.in/gpTepqzF
📍 National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide
📅 Thursday, 26th June 2025, 9am – 5pm
🎟 Free (limited spots available)
Register now: lnkd.in/gpTepqzF
May 23, 2025 at 12:01 AM
🧬 Introducing Environmental DNA, a free event for those in industry, government, and NGOs who are new to eDNA.
📍 National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide
📅 Thursday, 26th June 2025, 9am – 5pm
🎟 Free (limited spots available)
Register now: lnkd.in/gpTepqzF
📍 National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide
📅 Thursday, 26th June 2025, 9am – 5pm
🎟 Free (limited spots available)
Register now: lnkd.in/gpTepqzF