tim brown
@parasitetim.bsky.social
Interdisciplinary researcher working on parasite conservation @ University of Leeds
Passionate supporter of creatures that suck! & advocate of the need for a wormier world
Passionate supporter of creatures that suck! & advocate of the need for a wormier world
Reposted by tim brown
New PhD studentship opportunity in my lab & with collaborators from the Pinniped Genomes Consortium. Come help us unravel the genomics of seal physiological super powers! Closing date 7th January 2026 🧪🦭🧬🌍🦑🐳 #marine #mammals
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
The evolutionary genomics of life-history adaptations in pinnipeds - Yorkshire Environmental Sciences • Doctoral Training Network
Project summary Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, fur seals and walrus) are keystone marine predators, and sentinels for marine ecosystem health. Advances in genomic technology open up the possibility to u...
yes-dtn.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 8:23 AM
New PhD studentship opportunity in my lab & with collaborators from the Pinniped Genomes Consortium. Come help us unravel the genomics of seal physiological super powers! Closing date 7th January 2026 🧪🦭🧬🌍🦑🐳 #marine #mammals
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
Reposted by tim brown
Spookiest decoration at the "Zoo Goes Boo" event at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids? Giant model of parasitoid wasps hatching from cocoons affixed to their caterpillar host.
October 13, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Spookiest decoration at the "Zoo Goes Boo" event at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids? Giant model of parasitoid wasps hatching from cocoons affixed to their caterpillar host.
Reposted by tim brown
You probably have a general idea of what a tick looks like, but did you know that there are three distinct families of ticks, each with their own appearance, habitat, and adaptations? These families are the Ixodidae (or hard ticks), Argasidae (or soft ticks), and the Nuttalliellidae. (1/4)
October 3, 2025 at 10:42 PM
You probably have a general idea of what a tick looks like, but did you know that there are three distinct families of ticks, each with their own appearance, habitat, and adaptations? These families are the Ixodidae (or hard ticks), Argasidae (or soft ticks), and the Nuttalliellidae. (1/4)
Reposted by tim brown
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/unsettlin...
No cover yet, but there's a web page. Incredibly pleased to be part of this important - and affordable! - volume on extinction studies. Pre-order now because I promise it will be good
No cover yet, but there's a web page. Incredibly pleased to be part of this important - and affordable! - volume on extinction studies. Pre-order now because I promise it will be good
Unsettling Extinction
Featuring contributions from key names in the field alongside some of the most exciting new voices, this collection presents cutting-edge work on species extinc…
www.bloomsbury.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:50 AM
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/unsettlin...
No cover yet, but there's a web page. Incredibly pleased to be part of this important - and affordable! - volume on extinction studies. Pre-order now because I promise it will be good
No cover yet, but there's a web page. Incredibly pleased to be part of this important - and affordable! - volume on extinction studies. Pre-order now because I promise it will be good
checking a species name with GBIF after not finding it via NCBI feels very much like the asking your Dad after your Mum already told you "No" of taxonomy
August 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
checking a species name with GBIF after not finding it via NCBI feels very much like the asking your Dad after your Mum already told you "No" of taxonomy
Reposted by tim brown
UK followers under 35, please consider filling in this form to help researchers better understand modern dating.
Help researchers better understand young people’s attitudes towards dating: www.surveymonkey.com/r/VFD7SQZ
March 11, 2025 at 2:40 PM
UK followers under 35, please consider filling in this form to help researchers better understand modern dating.
We wrote this as a fun introduction to the strange and wonderful world of parasite conservation!
Hopefully it gets you thinking about how there's more than meets the eye with parasites and whether we should bring them into the fold of conservation concern
theconversation.com/parasites-ar...
Hopefully it gets you thinking about how there's more than meets the eye with parasites and whether we should bring them into the fold of conservation concern
theconversation.com/parasites-ar...
Parasites are ecological dark matter – and they need protecting
Save the pandas, sure, but what about the worms in their guts?
theconversation.com
March 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM
We wrote this as a fun introduction to the strange and wonderful world of parasite conservation!
Hopefully it gets you thinking about how there's more than meets the eye with parasites and whether we should bring them into the fold of conservation concern
theconversation.com/parasites-ar...
Hopefully it gets you thinking about how there's more than meets the eye with parasites and whether we should bring them into the fold of conservation concern
theconversation.com/parasites-ar...
Reposted by tim brown
Save the pandas, sure, but what about the worms in their guts?
Parasites are ecological dark matter – and they need protecting
Save the pandas, sure, but what about the worms in their guts?
tcnv.link
March 10, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Save the pandas, sure, but what about the worms in their guts?
my extremely nuanced opinion on the woolly mice is that they are very cute (good), but mean basically nothing as far as conservation is concerned (less good) and are really just a PR exercise for a somewhat malevolent profit-making machine (bad)
March 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
my extremely nuanced opinion on the woolly mice is that they are very cute (good), but mean basically nothing as far as conservation is concerned (less good) and are really just a PR exercise for a somewhat malevolent profit-making machine (bad)
Am I right in thinking that Colossal's (non-)conservation work allows them to patent a lot of genetic technology which they could then make massive profits from if/when those technologies are used for wider applications than woolly mammoth PR?
A mammoth circus of macabre fantasy and moral bankruptcy.
I got my views on mammoths down. Enjoy.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I got my views on mammoths down. Enjoy.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reviving the woolly mammoth isn’t just unethical. It’s impossible | Adam Rutherford
At a time when US scientists are under attack from their own government, the illiteracy around these elephantine fantasies is dangerous, says geneticist Adam Rutherford
www.theguardian.com
March 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Am I right in thinking that Colossal's (non-)conservation work allows them to patent a lot of genetic technology which they could then make massive profits from if/when those technologies are used for wider applications than woolly mammoth PR?
Reposted by tim brown
Ever wondered how reliable species distribution models (SDMs) are in the face of climate change compared to more mechanistic approaches? We did too, and our results are now published in Ecology Letters ⏬
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Paleorecords Reveal Biological Mechanisms Crucial for Reliable Species Range Shift Projections Amid Rapid Climate Change
Climate change has created an urgent need for reliable projections of species distributions. By hindcasting forest tree range shifts across Europe over the last 12,000 years, we show that process-exp...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 7, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Ever wondered how reliable species distribution models (SDMs) are in the face of climate change compared to more mechanistic approaches? We did too, and our results are now published in Ecology Letters ⏬
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by tim brown
Interdisciplinary research is not only hugely valuable, it's also a hell of a lot easier than people make out - the hard part is fighting the institutions to get them to let you do it
February 13, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Interdisciplinary research is not only hugely valuable, it's also a hell of a lot easier than people make out - the hard part is fighting the institutions to get them to let you do it
Really excited to share this paper which was the result of a big collaborative effort of PhD students @extinctionleeds.bsky.social!
It's full of incredible, original thoughts about how we view and interact with the world around us in a time of massive biodiversity loss 📷🍃
doi.org/10.1017/ext....
It's full of incredible, original thoughts about how we view and interact with the world around us in a time of massive biodiversity loss 📷🍃
doi.org/10.1017/ext....
Extinction studies in focus: Reflections on photography at a time of ecological decline | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction | Cambridge Core
Extinction studies in focus: Reflections on photography at a time of ecological decline - Volume 3
doi.org
February 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Really excited to share this paper which was the result of a big collaborative effort of PhD students @extinctionleeds.bsky.social!
It's full of incredible, original thoughts about how we view and interact with the world around us in a time of massive biodiversity loss 📷🍃
doi.org/10.1017/ext....
It's full of incredible, original thoughts about how we view and interact with the world around us in a time of massive biodiversity loss 📷🍃
doi.org/10.1017/ext....
Reposted by tim brown
Huge analysis out as a preprint today! For every 9 years an animal spends in the wildlife trade, it shares an additional pathogen with humans. Clear long-term impacts based on 40 years of global trade data 🧪😷 biorxiv.org/content/earl...
February 10, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Huge analysis out as a preprint today! For every 9 years an animal spends in the wildlife trade, it shares an additional pathogen with humans. Clear long-term impacts based on 40 years of global trade data 🧪😷 biorxiv.org/content/earl...
Reposted by tim brown
Hey #WildlifeDisease & #conservation folk, please check out our survey on attitudes to parasite conservation.
Are parasites important for biodiversity, would you remove them to protect host welfare, or something more nuanced? We want to hear all views to improve guidance for practitioners 🪱🧪🌍🧵1/n
Are parasites important for biodiversity, would you remove them to protect host welfare, or something more nuanced? We want to hear all views to improve guidance for practitioners 🪱🧪🌍🧵1/n
January 29, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Hey #WildlifeDisease & #conservation folk, please check out our survey on attitudes to parasite conservation.
Are parasites important for biodiversity, would you remove them to protect host welfare, or something more nuanced? We want to hear all views to improve guidance for practitioners 🪱🧪🌍🧵1/n
Are parasites important for biodiversity, would you remove them to protect host welfare, or something more nuanced? We want to hear all views to improve guidance for practitioners 🪱🧪🌍🧵1/n
Reposted by tim brown
Come and see some of the work we’ve been doing… SPIRIT: an exhibition of nature photography from the Scottish Small Isles. Parkinson Court, 4-6 Feb.
January 27, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Come and see some of the work we’ve been doing… SPIRIT: an exhibition of nature photography from the Scottish Small Isles. Parkinson Court, 4-6 Feb.
Really enjoyed this truly interdisciplinary paper on hookworm in early 20th c. Jamaica!
Jon historicises hookworm infection and extinction, showing how plantations (+ environment & individual factors) created the conditions for hookworm to thrive, but were also key in eradication/extinction efforts
Jon historicises hookworm infection and extinction, showing how plantations (+ environment & individual factors) created the conditions for hookworm to thrive, but were also key in eradication/extinction efforts
So! The new paper, what's in it? Firstly, this is about the interactions of hookworm, environment, society and economy. It's also about extinction (1/9)
doi.org/10.1017/ext....
doi.org/10.1017/ext....
Parasites and plantations: Disease, environment and society in efforts to induce extinction of hookworm in Jamaica, 1919–1936 | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction | Cambridge Core
Parasites and plantations: Disease, environment and society in efforts to induce extinction of hookworm in Jamaica, 1919–1936 - Volume 3
doi.org
February 5, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Really enjoyed this truly interdisciplinary paper on hookworm in early 20th c. Jamaica!
Jon historicises hookworm infection and extinction, showing how plantations (+ environment & individual factors) created the conditions for hookworm to thrive, but were also key in eradication/extinction efforts
Jon historicises hookworm infection and extinction, showing how plantations (+ environment & individual factors) created the conditions for hookworm to thrive, but were also key in eradication/extinction efforts
A lot of awesome pictures in the full paper!
🕷️🧟♂️ Zombie Spiders in British Caves
A new fungus, Gibellula attenboroughii (named for Sir David), manipulates orb-weaving cave spiders, altering their behaviour like zombie ants.
This discovery sheds light on hidden fungal diversity in the UK
🔗 doi.org/10.3114/fuse...
#SciComm #Spiders #Fungi 🧪
A new fungus, Gibellula attenboroughii (named for Sir David), manipulates orb-weaving cave spiders, altering their behaviour like zombie ants.
This discovery sheds light on hidden fungal diversity in the UK
🔗 doi.org/10.3114/fuse...
#SciComm #Spiders #Fungi 🧪
The araneopathogenic genus Gibell...iders (Metainae: Tetragnathidae): Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
doi.org
January 31, 2025 at 4:10 PM
A lot of awesome pictures in the full paper!
Reposted by tim brown
Parasite conservation sounds like a counterintuitive idea, but actually there are lots of reasons why this is important for the long term sustainability of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. #parasitology #ticks #ectoparasite 🪱🧪🌍
therevelator.org/ryukyu-rabbi...
therevelator.org/ryukyu-rabbi...
Saving the Ryukyu Rabbit Tick: The Posterchild of Parasite Conservation • The Revelator
This endangered invertebrate is harmless to humans — and rabbits. Saving it from extinction might even benefit both species.
therevelator.org
January 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Parasite conservation sounds like a counterintuitive idea, but actually there are lots of reasons why this is important for the long term sustainability of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. #parasitology #ticks #ectoparasite 🪱🧪🌍
therevelator.org/ryukyu-rabbi...
therevelator.org/ryukyu-rabbi...
Ever heard of parasite conservation and thought "Why on earth would we want to do that 😱"?! Read our new paper to find out...
We cover key questions including: Why conserve parasites? How do you conserve parasites? & What parasite conservation is already happening?
doi.org/10.1111/cobi...
[1/3]
We cover key questions including: Why conserve parasites? How do you conserve parasites? & What parasite conservation is already happening?
doi.org/10.1111/cobi...
[1/3]
January 20, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Ever heard of parasite conservation and thought "Why on earth would we want to do that 😱"?! Read our new paper to find out...
We cover key questions including: Why conserve parasites? How do you conserve parasites? & What parasite conservation is already happening?
doi.org/10.1111/cobi...
[1/3]
We cover key questions including: Why conserve parasites? How do you conserve parasites? & What parasite conservation is already happening?
doi.org/10.1111/cobi...
[1/3]
How have freshwater fish populations responded to warming temperatures over the past 75 yrs?
We found a characteristic pattern of climate change-induced changes in river fish populations, with differing impact for different species depending on key characteristics.
See our new paper for more info!
We found a characteristic pattern of climate change-induced changes in river fish populations, with differing impact for different species depending on key characteristics.
See our new paper for more info!
The responses of freshwater fish to global warming. Our analyses in @pnas.org @bristolbiosci.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Made possible by #RivFishTIME
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Made possible by #RivFishTIME
January 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
How have freshwater fish populations responded to warming temperatures over the past 75 yrs?
We found a characteristic pattern of climate change-induced changes in river fish populations, with differing impact for different species depending on key characteristics.
See our new paper for more info!
We found a characteristic pattern of climate change-induced changes in river fish populations, with differing impact for different species depending on key characteristics.
See our new paper for more info!