Nihan D. Dağtaş
@nihandd.bsky.social
PhD candidate, sediments, ancient DNA, method development 🧪🧬 and a bit of 🐦🏞️🍲on the side
💛Mummified Cheetahs Discovered in Caves Could Help Saudi Arabia Bring the Wild Cat Back to Its Historical Range
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/m...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/m...
Mummified Cheetahs Discovered in Caves Could Help Saudi Arabia Bring the Wild Cat Back to Its Historical Range
Researchers thought that just one subspecies of cheetah lived in Saudi Arabia long ago. But an unexpected discovery seems to broaden the gene pool
www.smithsonianmag.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:07 PM
💛Mummified Cheetahs Discovered in Caves Could Help Saudi Arabia Bring the Wild Cat Back to Its Historical Range
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/m...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/m...
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
New paper out! 🐦📊
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
January 8, 2026 at 11:09 AM
New paper out! 🐦📊
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
Hope the conservation efforts for 'little dodo' will get as much funding (if not more) as the claimed 'de-extinction' projects. SCS needs support to expand the invasive species' control to more forests and save the last remaining manumeas from extinction
January 2, 2026 at 6:20 PM
Hope the conservation efforts for 'little dodo' will get as much funding (if not more) as the claimed 'de-extinction' projects. SCS needs support to expand the invasive species' control to more forests and save the last remaining manumeas from extinction
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Huge News from the Western Amazon: it's the year 2025 and we are still describing entirely new, strikingly-distinctive large-bodied bird species! Behold Tinamus resonans sp. nov. the Slaty-masked Tinamou mapress.com/zt/article/v... #Ornithology @tetzoo.bsky.social 🪶
December 2, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Huge News from the Western Amazon: it's the year 2025 and we are still describing entirely new, strikingly-distinctive large-bodied bird species! Behold Tinamus resonans sp. nov. the Slaty-masked Tinamou mapress.com/zt/article/v... #Ornithology @tetzoo.bsky.social 🪶
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Here's a lesson in light-damage in #museums. #Taxidermy exposed to the light fades over time, ultimately creating specimens that no longer resemble the species they are supposed to represent. These two South American cock-of-the-rocks at Birmingham Museums are a clear "before & after".
December 1, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Here's a lesson in light-damage in #museums. #Taxidermy exposed to the light fades over time, ultimately creating specimens that no longer resemble the species they are supposed to represent. These two South American cock-of-the-rocks at Birmingham Museums are a clear "before & after".
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
📢📷 🪿New #PaperAlert in @pnas.org :
Earliest figurine depicting a human-animal interaction
A 12,000-year-old baked clay and ochre-colored figurine of a woman and a goose discovered in Late Natufian Nahal Ein Gev II (Upper Jordan Valley)
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Earliest figurine depicting a human-animal interaction
A 12,000-year-old baked clay and ochre-colored figurine of a woman and a goose discovered in Late Natufian Nahal Ein Gev II (Upper Jordan Valley)
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
November 17, 2025 at 9:25 PM
📢📷 🪿New #PaperAlert in @pnas.org :
Earliest figurine depicting a human-animal interaction
A 12,000-year-old baked clay and ochre-colored figurine of a woman and a goose discovered in Late Natufian Nahal Ein Gev II (Upper Jordan Valley)
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Earliest figurine depicting a human-animal interaction
A 12,000-year-old baked clay and ochre-colored figurine of a woman and a goose discovered in Late Natufian Nahal Ein Gev II (Upper Jordan Valley)
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
A PhD project on historical genomics in the declining red squirrel in Britain is available in my group, through the @aries-dtp.bsky.social. Use historical genomes to track the effects of decline and genetic rescue in this charismatic species. aries-dtp.ac.uk/studentships...
Historical genomics of the declining red squirrel in Britain | Aries
Dr Anders Bergström, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia Professor Cock van Oosterhout, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Dr Selina Brace…
aries-dtp.ac.uk
November 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A PhD project on historical genomics in the declining red squirrel in Britain is available in my group, through the @aries-dtp.bsky.social. Use historical genomes to track the effects of decline and genetic rescue in this charismatic species. aries-dtp.ac.uk/studentships...
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
We have another publication out! 🎉🎉🎉
“Hybrids along a natural–anthropogenic gradient: improving policy and management across all levels of biodiversity.”
We explore how to deal with hybrids in conservation — scientifically and practically. A thread 🧵
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
“Hybrids along a natural–anthropogenic gradient: improving policy and management across all levels of biodiversity.”
We explore how to deal with hybrids in conservation — scientifically and practically. A thread 🧵
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Hybrids Along a Natural‐Anthropogenic Gradient: Improving Policy and Management Across All Levels of Biodiversity
Hybridization has long been a central topic in evolution and conservation. Recent developments in genomics have increased the ability to detect hybridization, defined here as breeding between species....
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:37 PM
We have another publication out! 🎉🎉🎉
“Hybrids along a natural–anthropogenic gradient: improving policy and management across all levels of biodiversity.”
We explore how to deal with hybrids in conservation — scientifically and practically. A thread 🧵
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
“Hybrids along a natural–anthropogenic gradient: improving policy and management across all levels of biodiversity.”
We explore how to deal with hybrids in conservation — scientifically and practically. A thread 🧵
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Congrats to Arianna and co. for a fab paper! Posth lab animal aDNA crew going strong 😋 Some nice damage correction software for non-UDG treated samples is also presented here- which I have had the pleasure of using in my thesis 🤩🧬🐎
Mitochondrial DNA from horses at the Middle Pleistocene archaeological site of Schöningen reveals insight into the evolutionary history of horses, and advances techniques for the analysis of ancient DNA retrieved from highly degraded samples 🧪🐴 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mitochondrial genomes of Middle Pleistocene horses from the open-air site complex of Schöningen - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Mitochondrial DNA from horses at the Middle Pleistocene archaeological site of Schöningen reveals insight into the evolutionary history of horses and advances techniques for the analysis of ancient DNA retrieved from highly degraded samples.
www.nature.com
October 3, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Congrats to Arianna and co. for a fab paper! Posth lab animal aDNA crew going strong 😋 Some nice damage correction software for non-UDG treated samples is also presented here- which I have had the pleasure of using in my thesis 🤩🧬🐎
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
In a hunt more than 200,000 years ago, Neanderthals wielding wooden spears slaughtered horses on the shores of an ancient lake. Geneticists @unituebingen.bsky.social just sequenced DNA from the now-extinct equid species. It's the oldest yet recovered from an open-air site. @science.org
Ancient DNA from horses slaughtered by Neanderthals sheds light on equine evolution
200,000-year-old genes are oldest ever recovered from open-air site
www.science.org
October 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM
In a hunt more than 200,000 years ago, Neanderthals wielding wooden spears slaughtered horses on the shores of an ancient lake. Geneticists @unituebingen.bsky.social just sequenced DNA from the now-extinct equid species. It's the oldest yet recovered from an open-air site. @science.org
Glad to be working with you! 👩🔬🧬
Our visiting researcher Nihan D. Dagtas is a PhD candidate in Tel Aviv and at the moment in Tübingen. She is working on a field kit designed to accelerate the screening of sediment samples for ancient DNA, facilitating more informed and efficient sampling. We wish you every success!
September 23, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Glad to be working with you! 👩🔬🧬
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
My Husband is Hot! – How having an attractive mate can provide tangible benefits to birds
Summary & Analysis by Kaleigh Remick of “Females with Attractive Mates Gain Environmental Benefits That Increase Lifetime and Multigenerational Fitness” by Barron et al.
www.amnat.org/an/newpapers...
Summary & Analysis by Kaleigh Remick of “Females with Attractive Mates Gain Environmental Benefits That Increase Lifetime and Multigenerational Fitness” by Barron et al.
www.amnat.org/an/newpapers...
August 11, 2025 at 5:56 PM
My Husband is Hot! – How having an attractive mate can provide tangible benefits to birds
Summary & Analysis by Kaleigh Remick of “Females with Attractive Mates Gain Environmental Benefits That Increase Lifetime and Multigenerational Fitness” by Barron et al.
www.amnat.org/an/newpapers...
Summary & Analysis by Kaleigh Remick of “Females with Attractive Mates Gain Environmental Benefits That Increase Lifetime and Multigenerational Fitness” by Barron et al.
www.amnat.org/an/newpapers...
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
These are some of the quotes from the media surrounding Colossal’s recent moa de-extinction announcement. New Zealand conservationists would rather save existing species from extinction than bring back those that are now gone 1/3.
August 6, 2025 at 9:55 PM
These are some of the quotes from the media surrounding Colossal’s recent moa de-extinction announcement. New Zealand conservationists would rather save existing species from extinction than bring back those that are now gone 1/3.
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
🧪🦣🏺 Who wants to hear a story about biotech billions, unscientific claims, and shoddy smear tactics attacking women in science*?
Thread 🧵
*which, for legal clarity, are totally denied as being connected
Thread 🧵
*which, for legal clarity, are totally denied as being connected
Academics who have questioned the validity of efforts to “de-extinct” animals like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf have complained of an apparent campaign to discredit them.
Critics of de-extinction research hit by mystery smear campaign
Several researchers who have been critical of Colossal Biosciences’ plans to revive extinct animals say they have been targeted by online articles trying to discredit them
www.newscientist.com
August 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM
🧪🦣🏺 Who wants to hear a story about biotech billions, unscientific claims, and shoddy smear tactics attacking women in science*?
Thread 🧵
*which, for legal clarity, are totally denied as being connected
Thread 🧵
*which, for legal clarity, are totally denied as being connected
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Academics who have questioned the validity of efforts to “de-extinct” animals like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf have complained of an apparent campaign to discredit them.
Critics of de-extinction research hit by mystery smear campaign
Several researchers who have been critical of Colossal Biosciences’ plans to revive extinct animals say they have been targeted by online articles trying to discredit them
www.newscientist.com
July 31, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Academics who have questioned the validity of efforts to “de-extinct” animals like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf have complained of an apparent campaign to discredit them.
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Birds are such a strange kind of dinosaur, we would be astonished by them if they weren't around us all the time.
Goblin-like puppeteers behind a screen of feathers, as described by Gary W. Kaiser in his book The Inner Bird.
Goblin-like puppeteers behind a screen of feathers, as described by Gary W. Kaiser in his book The Inner Bird.
July 13, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Birds are such a strange kind of dinosaur, we would be astonished by them if they weren't around us all the time.
Goblin-like puppeteers behind a screen of feathers, as described by Gary W. Kaiser in his book The Inner Bird.
Goblin-like puppeteers behind a screen of feathers, as described by Gary W. Kaiser in his book The Inner Bird.
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
I have serious concerns about Colossal Biosciences, Canterbury Museum & Ngāi Tahu Research Centre pursuing moa de-extinction, incl whether informed widespread engagement w/ Ngāi Tahu rūnanga & South Island iwi was done (many are against de-extinction) www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/07/09/m... 1/3
Moa "de-extinction" plans announced - Expert Reaction
An overseas company has announced plans to "bring back" the South Island giant moa.
Colossal Biosciences, working with Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and Canterbury Museum, says it expects to "resurrect" t...
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz
July 9, 2025 at 7:42 AM
I have serious concerns about Colossal Biosciences, Canterbury Museum & Ngāi Tahu Research Centre pursuing moa de-extinction, incl whether informed widespread engagement w/ Ngāi Tahu rūnanga & South Island iwi was done (many are against de-extinction) www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/07/09/m... 1/3
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
A milestone: #kakapo mating calls have been heard on the North Island of NZ for the first time in over a century. At least 2 of the 3 #kakapo males at the fenced sanctuary of Maungatautari have "boomed" this summer. #conservation www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... Video: www.scienceagency.co.nz
May 1, 2025 at 2:52 AM
A milestone: #kakapo mating calls have been heard on the North Island of NZ for the first time in over a century. At least 2 of the 3 #kakapo males at the fenced sanctuary of Maungatautari have "boomed" this summer. #conservation www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... Video: www.scienceagency.co.nz
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Question for 🧬ancient biomolecules🧬people:
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
January 30, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Question for 🧬ancient biomolecules🧬people:
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
Question for 🧬ancient biomolecules🧬people:
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
January 30, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Question for 🧬ancient biomolecules🧬people:
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
have you ever RNase treated your aDNA extracts? I know RNA concentration in extracts are relatively low, but I still need to figure out how to get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice in advance! #aDNA #ancientDNA #wetlab #aRNA #sedaDNA #AncientGenomics
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Need a little fun as we near Christmas? Here's something for you! We had a heap of fun writing about place names and kākā - cheeky #NZ parrots - and it's out. The work evolved over 2 summers, led by (then) undergraduate student Fin Johnson (on the right). 1/n
(Kaka photo copyright Oscar Thomas).
(Kaka photo copyright Oscar Thomas).
December 20, 2024 at 9:34 PM
Need a little fun as we near Christmas? Here's something for you! We had a heap of fun writing about place names and kākā - cheeky #NZ parrots - and it's out. The work evolved over 2 summers, led by (then) undergraduate student Fin Johnson (on the right). 1/n
(Kaka photo copyright Oscar Thomas).
(Kaka photo copyright Oscar Thomas).
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Apply for this funded PhD with me, Selina Brace and Silvia Bello at UCL & the Natural History Museum:
Human or Animal? Biomolecular Analysis of Upper Palaeolithic Bone Artefacts to Explore Raw Material Selection.
#ZooMs #ancientDNA #stableisotopes
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/hum...
Human or Animal? Biomolecular Analysis of Upper Palaeolithic Bone Artefacts to Explore Raw Material Selection.
#ZooMs #ancientDNA #stableisotopes
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/hum...
Human or Animal? Biomolecular Analysis of Upper Palaeolithic Bone Artefacts to Explore Raw Material Selection. | UCL Trees
Bone and antler became important raw materials for Upper Palaeolithic people. Osseous materials were used to make tools such as harpoons, projectile points, needles, and portable art. It is generally ...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
December 16, 2024 at 9:28 AM
Apply for this funded PhD with me, Selina Brace and Silvia Bello at UCL & the Natural History Museum:
Human or Animal? Biomolecular Analysis of Upper Palaeolithic Bone Artefacts to Explore Raw Material Selection.
#ZooMs #ancientDNA #stableisotopes
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/hum...
Human or Animal? Biomolecular Analysis of Upper Palaeolithic Bone Artefacts to Explore Raw Material Selection.
#ZooMs #ancientDNA #stableisotopes
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/hum...
Reposted by Nihan D. Dağtaş
Congratulations @shyama-mama.bsky.social on a great piece of work! academic.oup.com/bib/article/...
Filtering out the noise: metagenomic classifiers optimize ancient DNA mapping
Abstract. Contamination with exogenous DNA presents a significant challenge in ancient DNA (aDNA) studies of single organisms. Failure to address contamina
academic.oup.com
December 15, 2024 at 11:49 PM
Congratulations @shyama-mama.bsky.social on a great piece of work! academic.oup.com/bib/article/...
Hailing from the Americas, silky anteater is yet another one in the Pygmies List ❤️ the night & hanging out up in🌳where it escapes from vicious🦅 Not only 🐜 but sleepy wasps too fall victim to these hungry furballs. In 2017, people realized it’s not 1 but actually ~7 species😮 Pop trend unknown 📸D.Gunn
December 8, 2024 at 6:19 PM
Hailing from the Americas, silky anteater is yet another one in the Pygmies List ❤️ the night & hanging out up in🌳where it escapes from vicious🦅 Not only 🐜 but sleepy wasps too fall victim to these hungry furballs. In 2017, people realized it’s not 1 but actually ~7 species😮 Pop trend unknown 📸D.Gunn