Christopher Witt
@msbbirds.bsky.social
Prof & Curator @UNM, Museum of Southwestern Biology
NM Game Commissioner
Studies: bird ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, biogeography, & toxicology
Enjoys: Birding, hunting, fishing, running
Personal account, not representing UNM or State of NM
NM Game Commissioner
Studies: bird ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, biogeography, & toxicology
Enjoys: Birding, hunting, fishing, running
Personal account, not representing UNM or State of NM
Reposted by Christopher Witt
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Specificity, length and luck drive gene rankings in association studies - Nature
Genetic association tests prioritize candidate genes based on different criteria.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:05 AM
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Here’s what everyone must say.
Mamdani: "My message to ICE agents & to everyone across this city is that everyone will be held to the same standard of the law. If you violate it, you must be held accountable. There is sadly a sense growing that certain people are allowed to violate that law, whether they be POTUS or ICE agents."
November 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Here’s what everyone must say.
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Harlem Congressman Vito Marcantonio is Mamdani’s closing message—and practiced at the Garland Fund’s law firm. Of course. #TheRadicalFund is all around us. @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 5: Vito Marcantonio
There are many who dismiss our vision for New York as impossible. To them, I say we need look only to our past for proof of how we can shape the future.
Tomorrow is Election Day. And this is the final Until It's Done of our campaign.
There are many who dismiss our vision for New York as impossible. To them, I say we need look only to our past for proof of how we can shape the future.
Tomorrow is Election Day. And this is the final Until It's Done of our campaign.
November 4, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Harlem Congressman Vito Marcantonio is Mamdani’s closing message—and practiced at the Garland Fund’s law firm. Of course. #TheRadicalFund is all around us. @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Look at these cosplay cowboys, geared up to wage war against us.
NEW: Footage of a US citizen in Chicago being rammed then dragged from her car on her way to work.
Abducted, with no warrant, her family couldn’t find her for hours.
She was later released with NO CHARGE.
A DHS statement said she “violently resisted arrest, injuring two officers”.
You decide…
Abducted, with no warrant, her family couldn’t find her for hours.
She was later released with NO CHARGE.
A DHS statement said she “violently resisted arrest, injuring two officers”.
You decide…
November 3, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Look at these cosplay cowboys, geared up to wage war against us.
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Again Mackenzie Scott ftw www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/11/03/s...
Spelman College receives $38 million ‘unrestricted’ gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
The university says Scott’s gift lets it address expanding financial aid and scholarship support and investing in a state-of-the-art technology infrastructure “to enhance the academic experience.”
www.atlantanewsfirst.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Again Mackenzie Scott ftw www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/11/03/s...
Reposted by Christopher Witt
There are five birds with the word "rainbow" in their names.
Let's meet them.
🪶
Let's meet them.
🪶
November 2, 2025 at 11:56 PM
There are five birds with the word "rainbow" in their names.
Let's meet them.
🪶
Let's meet them.
🪶
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Join us on Nov 18 at 2:30 PM MST to learn about CAMBIUM grad fellowships in biodiversity informatics & climate change @uarizona.bsky.social. For incoming Fall 2026 students interested in big data, ecology, evolution, climate adaptation & more. Register: events.trellis.arizona.edu/en/f44lNu67/... 🌵🧬🌐
November 3, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Join us on Nov 18 at 2:30 PM MST to learn about CAMBIUM grad fellowships in biodiversity informatics & climate change @uarizona.bsky.social. For incoming Fall 2026 students interested in big data, ecology, evolution, climate adaptation & more. Register: events.trellis.arizona.edu/en/f44lNu67/... 🌵🧬🌐
Avonet hallucinating umbrellabirds as big as condors 😂
November 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Avonet hallucinating umbrellabirds as big as condors 😂
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Only a few pages into @carlzimmer's new book, but already learned something (something an avian systematist should already know...):
"pedigree" derives from the french "pied de grue", as branching family tree diagrams were thought to resemble a crane's foot.
"pedigree" derives from the french "pied de grue", as branching family tree diagrams were thought to resemble a crane's foot.
November 7, 2024 at 4:05 PM
Only a few pages into @carlzimmer's new book, but already learned something (something an avian systematist should already know...):
"pedigree" derives from the french "pied de grue", as branching family tree diagrams were thought to resemble a crane's foot.
"pedigree" derives from the french "pied de grue", as branching family tree diagrams were thought to resemble a crane's foot.
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Amazing. From: The global biomass of wild mammals, PNAS (2023), 120 (10) e2204892120
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
October 16, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Amazing. From: The global biomass of wild mammals, PNAS (2023), 120 (10) e2204892120
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Reposted by Christopher Witt
The Good Samaritan, by Joseph Highmore, 1744, 📸 by @patricksmith04
November 2, 2025 at 4:49 AM
The Good Samaritan, by Joseph Highmore, 1744, 📸 by @patricksmith04
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Pleased to see published today: the Molecular Ecology special issue on "Genomics of Speciation"; many interesting papers: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1365294x...
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
October 30, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Pleased to see published today: the Molecular Ecology special issue on "Genomics of Speciation"; many interesting papers: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1365294x...
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Included in this issue is our paper on "The Distribution and Dispersal of Large Haploblocks in a Superspecies":
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
SIX cat species >4,200 m?!?! That’s amazing. I don’t imagine there would be more than two at similar heights in the Andes
Camera traps at new heights. 📸
In Arunachal Pradesh, at 4,200m above sea level, WWF India have documented some incredible species living at this altitude, including 6 wild cat species!
Part of our ongoing work to support snow leopards and their prey, with thanks to #DarwinInitiative.
In Arunachal Pradesh, at 4,200m above sea level, WWF India have documented some incredible species living at this altitude, including 6 wild cat species!
Part of our ongoing work to support snow leopards and their prey, with thanks to #DarwinInitiative.
October 30, 2025 at 2:33 PM
SIX cat species >4,200 m?!?! That’s amazing. I don’t imagine there would be more than two at similar heights in the Andes
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Think about this for a minute
Breaking on MSNBC:
Two federal prosecutors have been placed on leave at the direction of the White House after filing a sentencing memo seeking 27 months in prison for a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter who brought illegal guns and ammunition to President Obama's house in 2023.
Two federal prosecutors have been placed on leave at the direction of the White House after filing a sentencing memo seeking 27 months in prison for a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter who brought illegal guns and ammunition to President Obama's house in 2023.
October 29, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Think about this for a minute
Reposted by Christopher Witt
"According to his running club, the man, who is a U.S. citizen, was returning from a team run when agents pulled him out of his vehicle, tackled him to the ground and kneeled on top of him, allegedly breaking six ribs and causing internal bleeding"
US citizen, 67, ‘has six ribs broken’ by Border Patrol agents, his running club says
The incident unfolded Saturday in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, where residents say federal agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade
www.independent.co.uk
October 28, 2025 at 8:40 PM
"According to his running club, the man, who is a U.S. citizen, was returning from a team run when agents pulled him out of his vehicle, tackled him to the ground and kneeled on top of him, allegedly breaking six ribs and causing internal bleeding"
Reposted by Christopher Witt
A new pod episode! Come for the nudist beach scenes from the 1920s—stay for fights over the material foundations of 20th-c liberalisms.
🚨🚨New Pod!! 🚨🚨 We have @johnfabianwitt.bsky.social on the pod!!! @samuelmoyn.bsky.social and I talk with John about his amazing and must read new book, The Radical Fund podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
Digging a Hole: The Legal Theory Podcast
Social Sciences Podcast · Yale Law School professors Samuel Moyn and David Schleicher interview legal scholars and dig into the debates heard inside law school halls.
podcasts.apple.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
A new pod episode! Come for the nudist beach scenes from the 1920s—stay for fights over the material foundations of 20th-c liberalisms.
Reposted by Christopher Witt
We have to absolutely hammer this home: Science suffers without the values embedded in DEI 🧪
The Python Software Foundation was recommended for a $1.5M grant from the National Science Foundation. The terms of the award said PSF could not work on DEI, whether or not the grant funding was used for it.
PSF therefore declined the funding.
Science suffers, but commitment to core values remains
PSF therefore declined the funding.
Science suffers, but commitment to core values remains
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
🧵
October 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM
We have to absolutely hammer this home: Science suffers without the values embedded in DEI 🧪
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Food bank director: “for every meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine. There’s no way we can meet that gap.”
October 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Food bank director: “for every meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine. There’s no way we can meet that gap.”
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Happy "No Kings" Day!
I just sent this email to Director Bhattacharya regarding the recently appointment of a new NIEHS Director.
I just sent this email to Director Bhattacharya regarding the recently appointment of a new NIEHS Director.
October 18, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Happy "No Kings" Day!
I just sent this email to Director Bhattacharya regarding the recently appointment of a new NIEHS Director.
I just sent this email to Director Bhattacharya regarding the recently appointment of a new NIEHS Director.
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Look man we’ve all been there, rejected by our reach schools
DARTMOUTH OUT!
We are at 6 rejections. Vanderbilt is the only private left standing "considering" the compact along with UT Austin and the University of Arizona.
We are at 6 rejections. Vanderbilt is the only private left standing "considering" the compact along with UT Austin and the University of Arizona.
Dartmouth is OUT! Thank goodness... a friend at U of A and I have been playing "Who will be the last of the 9 standing?" and it's not gonna be us!
October 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Look man we’ve all been there, rejected by our reach schools
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Reposted by Christopher Witt
OUT TODAY: SimHumanity, a SLiM 5 model of the human genome, replete with demography, autosomes, X/Y & mtDNA.
A shared starting point for reproducible evolutionary simulations.
Huge thanks to coauthors Ben Haller, @mufernando.bsky.social & Philipp Messer.
🔗 www.pivotscipub.com/hpgg/5/4/0006
A shared starting point for reproducible evolutionary simulations.
Huge thanks to coauthors Ben Haller, @mufernando.bsky.social & Philipp Messer.
🔗 www.pivotscipub.com/hpgg/5/4/0006
October 16, 2025 at 12:10 PM
OUT TODAY: SimHumanity, a SLiM 5 model of the human genome, replete with demography, autosomes, X/Y & mtDNA.
A shared starting point for reproducible evolutionary simulations.
Huge thanks to coauthors Ben Haller, @mufernando.bsky.social & Philipp Messer.
🔗 www.pivotscipub.com/hpgg/5/4/0006
A shared starting point for reproducible evolutionary simulations.
Huge thanks to coauthors Ben Haller, @mufernando.bsky.social & Philipp Messer.
🔗 www.pivotscipub.com/hpgg/5/4/0006
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Where we stand, in long arc of history:
-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.
-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.
I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."
-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.
-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.
I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."
October 16, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Where we stand, in long arc of history:
-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.
-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.
I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."
-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.
-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.
I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."
Reposted by Christopher Witt
Dear media,
1/ ICE consistently lies about its violence toward people in Chicago, with its initial accounts later disproven.
2/ When protesters shout at ICE agents to get out of their neighborhood and ICE tear-gasses them and throws them to the ground, that's not a "clash" – that's ICE violence.
1/ ICE consistently lies about its violence toward people in Chicago, with its initial accounts later disproven.
2/ When protesters shout at ICE agents to get out of their neighborhood and ICE tear-gasses them and throws them to the ground, that's not a "clash" – that's ICE violence.
October 15, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Dear media,
1/ ICE consistently lies about its violence toward people in Chicago, with its initial accounts later disproven.
2/ When protesters shout at ICE agents to get out of their neighborhood and ICE tear-gasses them and throws them to the ground, that's not a "clash" – that's ICE violence.
1/ ICE consistently lies about its violence toward people in Chicago, with its initial accounts later disproven.
2/ When protesters shout at ICE agents to get out of their neighborhood and ICE tear-gasses them and throws them to the ground, that's not a "clash" – that's ICE violence.