Jack Perkins!
@pterojacktyl.bsky.social
Bappada boppity, ya boy's on Bluesky! BSc Palaeobiology student at the University of New England. Finally on Twitter Jr. Posting research updates, cool rocks I find (fossils optional), and probably basketball rants if the Pacers annoy me enough.
Pinned
Jack Perkins!
@pterojacktyl.bsky.social
· Nov 18
G'day!! For those of you who missed me on Twitter 1.0, I'm Jack, an early-career palaeo based in Melbourne, Australia. I'm currently completing my undergraduate degree at the University of New England in Armidale, with the goal being to obtain my PhD in vertebrate palaeontology from UNE.
A composite megaraptorid skeletal mount, intended to represent the opalised "middle" Cretaceous Australian specimen "Lightning Claw". I think more museums should have megaraptorids - this one is on display at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
May 14, 2025 at 9:45 PM
A composite megaraptorid skeletal mount, intended to represent the opalised "middle" Cretaceous Australian specimen "Lightning Claw". I think more museums should have megaraptorids - this one is on display at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Check out my new Palaeocast blog post!
This time about the evolution of the arms of oviraptorosaurs. It's a summary of the recent research by Milly Mead @funstonpaleo.bsky.social @stevebrusatte.bsky.social
It features an interview with Milly too!
www.palaeocast.com/evolution-of...
This time about the evolution of the arms of oviraptorosaurs. It's a summary of the recent research by Milly Mead @funstonpaleo.bsky.social @stevebrusatte.bsky.social
It features an interview with Milly too!
www.palaeocast.com/evolution-of...
Palaeocast | Palaeontology podcasts
Palaeontology podcasts
www.palaeocast.com
May 14, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Check out my new Palaeocast blog post!
This time about the evolution of the arms of oviraptorosaurs. It's a summary of the recent research by Milly Mead @funstonpaleo.bsky.social @stevebrusatte.bsky.social
It features an interview with Milly too!
www.palaeocast.com/evolution-of...
This time about the evolution of the arms of oviraptorosaurs. It's a summary of the recent research by Milly Mead @funstonpaleo.bsky.social @stevebrusatte.bsky.social
It features an interview with Milly too!
www.palaeocast.com/evolution-of...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Last week, a Chicago pope.
This week, the Chicago Archaeopteryx is published!
And what a fossil it is, illuminating what the first birds were like 150 million years ago! Upper arm wing feathers, long tail, fairly mobile palate, feet adapted for the ground. Whoa!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This week, the Chicago Archaeopteryx is published!
And what a fossil it is, illuminating what the first birds were like 150 million years ago! Upper arm wing feathers, long tail, fairly mobile palate, feet adapted for the ground. Whoa!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Chicago Archaeopteryx informs on the early evolution of the avian bauplan - Nature
Analysis of the 'Chicago' Archaeopteryx, a nearly complete and uncrushed specimen, reveals details of the skeleton, soft tissues and plumage of this taxon, providing information on the evolution to av...
www.nature.com
May 14, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Last week, a Chicago pope.
This week, the Chicago Archaeopteryx is published!
And what a fossil it is, illuminating what the first birds were like 150 million years ago! Upper arm wing feathers, long tail, fairly mobile palate, feet adapted for the ground. Whoa!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This week, the Chicago Archaeopteryx is published!
And what a fossil it is, illuminating what the first birds were like 150 million years ago! Upper arm wing feathers, long tail, fairly mobile palate, feet adapted for the ground. Whoa!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
It's out! We describe probable reptile tracks from the earliest Carboniferous of Australia. This pushes the amniote record back by some 35-40 million years and implies that the tetrapod crown group originated deep in the Late Devonian. The paper is Open Access. 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Earliest amniote tracks recalibrate the timeline of tetrapod evolution - Nature
Analysis of a fossil trackway from the earliest Carboniferous of Australia shows prints of toes with claws, suggesting that the origin of amniotes was at least 35–40 million years earlier than pr...
www.nature.com
May 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM
It's out! We describe probable reptile tracks from the earliest Carboniferous of Australia. This pushes the amniote record back by some 35-40 million years and implies that the tetrapod crown group originated deep in the Late Devonian. The paper is Open Access. 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Abstract submission is now open for #2025SVP in Birmingham! Deadline is June 3rd & all key information is here:
vertpaleo.org/abstract-sub...
vertpaleo.org/abstract-sub...
April 17, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Abstract submission is now open for #2025SVP in Birmingham! Deadline is June 3rd & all key information is here:
vertpaleo.org/abstract-sub...
vertpaleo.org/abstract-sub...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Jésus, V.J.P. et al. 2025. Late Triassic small and medium-sized vertebrates from the Fleming Fjord Group of the Jameson Land Basin, central East Greenland. Palaeontologia Electronica, 28(1):a18.
doi.org/10.26879/1423
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025/5520-triassic-greenland-vertebrates
doi.org/10.26879/1423
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025/5520-triassic-greenland-vertebrates
Triassic Greenland vertebrates
Late Triassic small and medium-sized vertebrates from the Fleming Fjord Group of the Jameson Land Basin, central East Greenland
doi.org
April 17, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Jésus, V.J.P. et al. 2025. Late Triassic small and medium-sized vertebrates from the Fleming Fjord Group of the Jameson Land Basin, central East Greenland. Palaeontologia Electronica, 28(1):a18.
doi.org/10.26879/1423
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025/5520-triassic-greenland-vertebrates
doi.org/10.26879/1423
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025/5520-triassic-greenland-vertebrates
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
This putrid human is celebrating the decimation of trans rights in the UK. She’s gloating because she helped fund it. She funded it thru money she makes off Harry Potter.
She will continue to do this. It’s her “mission”.
Supporting Harry Potter harms and causes death in my community. Factually.
She will continue to do this. It’s her “mission”.
Supporting Harry Potter harms and causes death in my community. Factually.
April 17, 2025 at 2:40 PM
This putrid human is celebrating the decimation of trans rights in the UK. She’s gloating because she helped fund it. She funded it thru money she makes off Harry Potter.
She will continue to do this. It’s her “mission”.
Supporting Harry Potter harms and causes death in my community. Factually.
She will continue to do this. It’s her “mission”.
Supporting Harry Potter harms and causes death in my community. Factually.
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Specimen PVL 6386, a Sebecidae indet. from the Lumbrera Formation (Eocene, Argentina). A nearly complete articulated skull with jaws and three cervical vertebrae in exceptional state of preservation.
Traditionally referred to as cf. Sebecus sp. but possibly closer to other genera.
Traditionally referred to as cf. Sebecus sp. but possibly closer to other genera.
April 1, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Specimen PVL 6386, a Sebecidae indet. from the Lumbrera Formation (Eocene, Argentina). A nearly complete articulated skull with jaws and three cervical vertebrae in exceptional state of preservation.
Traditionally referred to as cf. Sebecus sp. but possibly closer to other genera.
Traditionally referred to as cf. Sebecus sp. but possibly closer to other genera.
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Many theropods shortened their arms and lost fingers. How did they do it?
Our Edinburgh student Milly Mead, in her first paper, looks into oviraptorosaurs. Arm shortening and finger loss were decoupled!
@funstonpaleo.bsky.social & I are proud supervisors!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Our Edinburgh student Milly Mead, in her first paper, looks into oviraptorosaurs. Arm shortening and finger loss were decoupled!
@funstonpaleo.bsky.social & I are proud supervisors!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Forelimb reduction and digit loss were evolutionarily decoupled in oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaurs | Royal Society Open Science
Theropod forelimbs exhibit wide morphological disparity, from the elongated wings
of birds to the diminutive arms of T. rex. A wealth of work has sought to understand the evolution of bird flight via ...
royalsocietypublishing.org
March 26, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Many theropods shortened their arms and lost fingers. How did they do it?
Our Edinburgh student Milly Mead, in her first paper, looks into oviraptorosaurs. Arm shortening and finger loss were decoupled!
@funstonpaleo.bsky.social & I are proud supervisors!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Our Edinburgh student Milly Mead, in her first paper, looks into oviraptorosaurs. Arm shortening and finger loss were decoupled!
@funstonpaleo.bsky.social & I are proud supervisors!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
study time Allosaurus edition
March 26, 2025 at 10:10 PM
study time Allosaurus edition
Another interesting titbit from this paper buried in the discussion: the referral of a caudal vertebra from the Strzelecki Group to Tyrannosauroidea! While specimens from the geologically younger Eumeralla Formation have previously been considered tyrannosauroids (e.g. Timimus hermani, the [1/2]
Huge congratulations are in order for my friend and colleague @dinoman-jake.bsky.social for the publication of his newest paper! As always, Jake's work is top class, and I know how hard he and his team worked on this project, so go give it a read! (1/3)
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia
The Early Cretaceous non-avian theropod body fossil record of Victoria, Australia dominantly comprises isolated dental and postcranial remains. Numerous specimens have been collected from both the ...
www.tandfonline.com
February 20, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Another interesting titbit from this paper buried in the discussion: the referral of a caudal vertebra from the Strzelecki Group to Tyrannosauroidea! While specimens from the geologically younger Eumeralla Formation have previously been considered tyrannosauroids (e.g. Timimus hermani, the [1/2]
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
They’ve only waited 120Ma.
A new glimpse into theropod diversity from Early Cretaceous Australia: megaraptorids, an unenlagiine, and for the first time, carcharodontosaurians.
Read it here: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Artwork by Jonathan Metzger.
1/10
A new glimpse into theropod diversity from Early Cretaceous Australia: megaraptorids, an unenlagiine, and for the first time, carcharodontosaurians.
Read it here: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Artwork by Jonathan Metzger.
1/10
February 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
They’ve only waited 120Ma.
A new glimpse into theropod diversity from Early Cretaceous Australia: megaraptorids, an unenlagiine, and for the first time, carcharodontosaurians.
Read it here: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Artwork by Jonathan Metzger.
1/10
A new glimpse into theropod diversity from Early Cretaceous Australia: megaraptorids, an unenlagiine, and for the first time, carcharodontosaurians.
Read it here: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Artwork by Jonathan Metzger.
1/10
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Full article: Anatomical description and systematics of a new notosuchian (Mesoeucrocodylia; Crocodyliformes) from the Quiricó Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Sanfranciscana Basin, Brazil www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Anatomical description and systematics of a new notosuchian (Mesoeucrocodylia; Crocodyliformes) from the Quiricó Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Sanfranciscana Basin, Brazil
Notosuchians comprise a clade of mostly terrestrial crocodyliforms generally found in Cretaceous Gondwanan deposits. They evolved into many forms and some species show convergences with mammalian f...
www.tandfonline.com
February 19, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Full article: Anatomical description and systematics of a new notosuchian (Mesoeucrocodylia; Crocodyliformes) from the Quiricó Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Sanfranciscana Basin, Brazil www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Huge congratulations are in order for my friend and colleague @dinoman-jake.bsky.social for the publication of his newest paper! As always, Jake's work is top class, and I know how hard he and his team worked on this project, so go give it a read! (1/3)
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia
The Early Cretaceous non-avian theropod body fossil record of Victoria, Australia dominantly comprises isolated dental and postcranial remains. Numerous specimens have been collected from both the ...
www.tandfonline.com
February 19, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Huge congratulations are in order for my friend and colleague @dinoman-jake.bsky.social for the publication of his newest paper! As always, Jake's work is top class, and I know how hard he and his team worked on this project, so go give it a read! (1/3)
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
THE BIG MONKEY HAS LANDED
With the Gigantopithecus fauna I finish no. 40 in our formation piece series.
While being very challenging, this composition was a joy to figure out, and not just because of the animals. The verticality of these karst landscapes always fascinated me. #paleoart #sciart
With the Gigantopithecus fauna I finish no. 40 in our formation piece series.
While being very challenging, this composition was a joy to figure out, and not just because of the animals. The verticality of these karst landscapes always fascinated me. #paleoart #sciart
January 19, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
"If peace means keeping my mouth shut in the midst of injustice and evil, I don't want it." MLK, Jr, 1956. The Rev. Dr. King died fighting for justice and equality for the working poor. As you remember his birth don’t misremember his life.
January 19, 2025 at 7:08 PM
"If peace means keeping my mouth shut in the midst of injustice and evil, I don't want it." MLK, Jr, 1956. The Rev. Dr. King died fighting for justice and equality for the working poor. As you remember his birth don’t misremember his life.
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
“Scientists should stop trying to be neutral & instead embrace their values,”says a group of top climate scientists, including @katharinehayhoe.com (who I co-curated the Pack below with). The neutrality myth is harming the reputation of science right when we need it most. www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks...
January 19, 2025 at 5:27 PM
“Scientists should stop trying to be neutral & instead embrace their values,”says a group of top climate scientists, including @katharinehayhoe.com (who I co-curated the Pack below with). The neutrality myth is harming the reputation of science right when we need it most. www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Under the feet of the dinosaurs, our own ancestors lived... surprisingly slowly.
One of the work highlights of last year: a press release illustration I painted for @elsa-panciroli.bsky.social for her and colleague's paper on a fascinating fossil find.
Article: www.nature.com/articles/s415...
One of the work highlights of last year: a press release illustration I painted for @elsa-panciroli.bsky.social for her and colleague's paper on a fascinating fossil find.
Article: www.nature.com/articles/s415...
January 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Under the feet of the dinosaurs, our own ancestors lived... surprisingly slowly.
One of the work highlights of last year: a press release illustration I painted for @elsa-panciroli.bsky.social for her and colleague's paper on a fascinating fossil find.
Article: www.nature.com/articles/s415...
One of the work highlights of last year: a press release illustration I painted for @elsa-panciroli.bsky.social for her and colleague's paper on a fascinating fossil find.
Article: www.nature.com/articles/s415...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
A new ornithomimid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
A new ornithomimid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan
Dzharacursor gen. nov. is established for the reception of Archaeornithomimus(?) bissektensis Nesov, 1995 from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan. Dzharacursor bissekt...
www.tandfonline.com
January 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
A new ornithomimid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
From the very beginning, every piece I read about AI and education was framed around "well it's here to stay, so..." and cast teachers who had questions or reservations as fearful.
Not fearful. Objecting on principle.
Not fearful. Objecting on principle.
This is why we need to question and resist the quasi-religious narratives of inevitability about AI.
A very basic question: are the products even good? Useful? Trustworthy?
There is no reason to obey in advance when these programmers are doing dumb shit like this.
And spending millions on it.
A very basic question: are the products even good? Useful? Trustworthy?
There is no reason to obey in advance when these programmers are doing dumb shit like this.
And spending millions on it.
And to think that Facebook's llama is supposed to be one of the leading AIs/LLMs out there.
This really underscores the lack of maturity these products have and how profoundly irresponsible it is to ship and promote these beta products that are generations away from being reliable
This really underscores the lack of maturity these products have and how profoundly irresponsible it is to ship and promote these beta products that are generations away from being reliable
January 4, 2025 at 12:40 AM
From the very beginning, every piece I read about AI and education was framed around "well it's here to stay, so..." and cast teachers who had questions or reservations as fearful.
Not fearful. Objecting on principle.
Not fearful. Objecting on principle.
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Coelophysis portrait.
First piece of 2025. Watercolor/gouache mixed technique
#paleoart #sciart #dinosaurs #art
First piece of 2025. Watercolor/gouache mixed technique
#paleoart #sciart #dinosaurs #art
January 2, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Coelophysis portrait.
First piece of 2025. Watercolor/gouache mixed technique
#paleoart #sciart #dinosaurs #art
First piece of 2025. Watercolor/gouache mixed technique
#paleoart #sciart #dinosaurs #art
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
“Anti-science is now a lethal force that threatens human civilization. We can no longer fight climate change and pandemics unless we can find a means to defuse the anti-science bomb that threatens our future. So far, we are losing this battle…
The window of opportunity is beginning to close”
The window of opportunity is beginning to close”
"A Triple Threat to Humanity: Climate Change, Pandemics, and Anti-Science" | My new article with Peter Hotez in #SkepticalInquirer: skepticalinquirer.org/2024/12/a-tr...
A Triple Threat to Humanity: Climate Change, Pandemics, and Anti-Science | Skeptical Inquirer
Over the past decade, many of us in the scientific community have come to appreciate the existential threat we face today—a threat unlike any we’ve witnesse ...
skepticalinquirer.org
December 31, 2024 at 5:46 PM
“Anti-science is now a lethal force that threatens human civilization. We can no longer fight climate change and pandemics unless we can find a means to defuse the anti-science bomb that threatens our future. So far, we are losing this battle…
The window of opportunity is beginning to close”
The window of opportunity is beginning to close”
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Dragon's moon :B Inspired by the beautiful full moons this year, and by the recent article about how our Moon was volcanically active during the Cretaceous. Was this visible from Earth? Did dinosaurs take notice? Good thing about being an artist is, you can draw whatever :B
December 23, 2024 at 5:38 AM
Dragon's moon :B Inspired by the beautiful full moons this year, and by the recent article about how our Moon was volcanically active during the Cretaceous. Was this visible from Earth? Did dinosaurs take notice? Good thing about being an artist is, you can draw whatever :B
Saurophaganax no more: Danison et al. remove the allosauroid material from the S. maximus hypodigm, coin new species of Allosaurus. Huge congrats to Andy, Matt & the rest of the team who worked on this project!
journals.library.ualberta.ca/vamp/index.p...
journals.library.ualberta.ca/vamp/index.p...
Chimerism in specimens referred to Saurophaganax maximus reveals a new species of Allosaurus (Dinosauria, Theropoda)
| Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology
journals.library.ualberta.ca
December 22, 2024 at 1:13 AM
Saurophaganax no more: Danison et al. remove the allosauroid material from the S. maximus hypodigm, coin new species of Allosaurus. Huge congrats to Andy, Matt & the rest of the team who worked on this project!
journals.library.ualberta.ca/vamp/index.p...
journals.library.ualberta.ca/vamp/index.p...
Reposted by Jack Perkins!
Dinocember Day 9: Haliskia
December 20, 2024 at 11:10 PM
Dinocember Day 9: Haliskia