Daohan "Rex" Jiang
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rexjiang.bsky.social
Daohan "Rex" Jiang
@rexjiang.bsky.social
1.3K followers 650 following 320 posts
Evolutionary biologist; postdoc @oistedu.bsky.social; evolutionary theories | complex traits | evolutionary novelties
Views are my own.
https://rexjiang385518549.wordpress.com/
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rexjiang.bsky.social
Daohan "Rex" Jiang @rexjiang.bsky.social · Oct 16
Have been a bit silent recently as I've been working on this new version of our preprint! In this study, we present a generalizable evo-devo model to explore principles of evolutionary innovations. A thread 🧵 ahead about this, and what's new... 1/11
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A simple model reveals why complex evolutionary innovations follow predictable paths
Determining the principles underlying the origin of novel characters has been a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. Yet, key mechanisms remain poorly understood, hindered by the lack of a genera...
www.biorxiv.org
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
replsimon.bsky.social
Five years ago, a violent mob incited by Donald Trump attacked our democratic process and endangered the Capitol Police and the workers who keep this institution running.

That was not a protest. It was an assault on the Constitution.

(1/2)
January 6, 2026 at 10:59 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
Now, threads about the Shanghai Zoo…I had been here before but this was the first time I visited as an adult. The experience felt quite different. Needless to say my favorite part is the herps, and this 🧵 is for them. I’m starting with Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis)...
A Chinese alligator resting on a little island in a pool. There are two more alligators in the water. A Chinese alligator is resting on the shore, and three more are in the water.
January 5, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
markwitton.bsky.social
They're both azhdarchoids with the left looking Sinopterus-like. The right looks to have a fabricated skull, prohibiting quick-fire identification.
January 5, 2026 at 9:50 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
The left one looks like Sinopterus to me (among the limited number of pterosaurs I can recall, that’s the closest). No intuition for the other.
Would love to hear from experts like @markwitton.bsky.social, @tetzoo.bsky.social and @davehone.bsky.social…
#pterosaur #JeholBiota
rexjiang.bsky.social Daohan "Rex" Jiang @rexjiang.bsky.social · 3d
These pterosaurs weren’t labeled to genus level but only referred to as “pterosaurs”. Really a pity given how beautiful they are…
Fossils of two pterosaurs. Both are toothless and short-tailed. The one on the left has a deeper skull whereas the other has relatively slender snout.
January 5, 2026 at 6:47 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
After complementing the Shanghai Natural History Museum, now it’s time for some complaints. This one, as I remember, is a mistake that existed at least a decade ago when I first visited but it’s never corrected: silhouette for Lufengosaurus on this sign is wrong and is obviously a theropod.
January 5, 2026 at 6:09 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
Here comes my second post about my revisit to the Shanghai Natural History Museum (1st post:
bsky.app/profile/rexj...). I’m starting from this mount of Ruyangosaurus giganteus, a huge #titanosauriform. A candidate for Asia’s largest dinosaur, it dwarfed everyone else in the space.
Reconstructed skeleton of Ruyangosaurus giganteus. Its feet are surrounded by glass walls. Its neck is supported by two metal rods. A few whale skeletons are hung above it. Reconstructed skeleton of Ruyangosaurus giganteus. The photo was taken when I stood beneath its chest and looked in the direction of its head.
January 3, 2026 at 2:13 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
I went to the Shanghai Natural History Museum on the last day of 2025. This time there was a special exhibition about Chinese dinosaurs, which is what this thread is for. I’m starting with the holotype of Lufengosaurus huenei, the first non-avian dinosaur described by Chinese paleontologists.
Skeleton of Lufengosaurus huenei, mounted in a bipedal pose. On the left is the skull of a theropod Sinosaurus. Skeleton of Lufengosaurus huenei. On the lower right is a case containing prints of the original description of the specimen.
January 2, 2026 at 12:14 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
Just back from my trip to China…Had a chance to revisit Shanghai’s zoo & natural history museum before flying back to Okinawa, and got to see some new stuff this time. My cellphone didn’t have a reliable VPN then, so I’m posting the threads these two days…
The main gate of the Shanghai Zoo. The front side of the gate has Asian elephants sculpted on both sides, with their trunks joining to form a gate. On the left are a female elephant with her baby. On the right is a male elephant. The main hall of the Shanghai Natural History Museum. At the center are mounted skeletons of 3 sauropods. On the left are some fossilized wood. On the right is a stage set up for a New Year Eve event.
January 2, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
jopabinia.bsky.social
Next, @rexjiang.bsky.social et al modeling the evolution of gene regulatory networks by simulating selection, there is evidence of shallow constraint and deep homology (assuming complexity is a reasonable metric for these characters). I love the framework, very creative!

3/7
rexjiang.bsky.social Daohan "Rex" Jiang @rexjiang.bsky.social · Oct 16
Have been a bit silent recently as I've been working on this new version of our preprint! In this study, we present a generalizable evo-devo model to explore principles of evolutionary innovations. A thread 🧵 ahead about this, and what's new... 1/11
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A simple model reveals why complex evolutionary innovations follow predictable paths
Determining the principles underlying the origin of novel characters has been a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. Yet, key mechanisms remain poorly understood, hindered by the lack of a genera...
www.biorxiv.org
December 22, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
nicolasgaltier.bsky.social
Happy to hare that the preprint I was advertising below has been published by the Journal of Evolutionary Biology:

academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...

Thanks @jevbio.bsky.social for supporting responsible publishing!
December 9, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
surtlab.bsky.social
This TA responded incredibly here…it’s ridiculous what this situation is turning into
kissphoria.bsky.social gwen howerton @kissphoria.bsky.social · Nov 29
idk not to mention how very nuanced and normal the actual response here was
Trans Professors comment Mel Curth (She/They) November 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs, but instead I am deducting point for you posting a reaction paper that does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive. While you are entitled to your own personal beliefs, there is an appropriate time or place to implement them in your reflections. I encourage all students to question or challenge the course material with other empirical findings or testable hypotheses, but using your own personal beliefs to argue against the findings of not only this article, but the findings of countless articles across psychology, biology, sociology, etc. is not best practice. You argue that abiding by normative gender roles is beneficial (it is perfectly fine to believe this. but to then say that evervone should act TPUSA OU Trans Professors comment the same, while also saying that people aren't pressured into gendered expectations is contradictory, especially since your arguments reflect a religious pressure to act in gender-stereotypical ways. You can say that strict gender norms don't create gender stereotypes, but that isn't true by definition of what a stereotype is. Please note that acknowledging gender stereotypes does not immediately denote a negative connotation, a nuance this article discusses. Additionally, to call an entire group of people "demonic" is highly offensive, especially a minoritized population. You are entitled to your own beliefs, but this isn't a vague narrative of "society pushes lies," but instead the result of countless years developing psychological and scientific evidence for these claims and directly interacting with the communities involved. You may personally disagree with this, but that TPUSA OU 2 Trans Professors comment doesn't change the fact that every major psychological, medical, pediatric, and psychiatric association in the United States acknowledges that, biologically and psychologically, sex and gender is neither binary nor fixed. I implore you apply some more perspective and empathy in your work. If you personally disagree with the findings, then by all means share your criticisms, but make sure to do so in a way that is appropriate and using the methodology of empirical psychology, as aligned with the learning goals in this class. If you have any additional questions or concerns about this or would like some additional educational resources, I would be happy to discuss this further and provide you with them. 3 TPUSA OU Additional professor Megan Waldron (She/Her/Hers) November 16, 2025 at 3:09 PM Samantha, I am the other instructor for this course, and I have also taken the time to read your paper. I concur with Mel on the grade you received. This paper should not be considered as a completion of the assignment. Everyone has different ways in which they see the world, but in an academic course such as this you are being asked to support your ideas with empirical evidence and higher-level reasoning. I find it concerning that you state at the beginning of your paper that you do not think bullying ("teasing") is a bad thing. In addition, your paper directly and harshly criticizes your peers and their opinions, which are just as valuable as yours. Disagreeing with others is fine, but there is a respectful way to go about it. That goes for discussion posts as well as reaction papers. Please employ more thoughtfulness in your future assignments TPUSA OU
December 1, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
harmitmalik.bsky.social
Who’s keeping track of where all this ‘protection money’ Universities are paying is going? Who’s keeping track of where the money from the tariffs is going? Because services are gutted, Universities are squeezed like scrawny kids on the school yard, yet the deficit keeps growing. Who’s getting rich?
November 29, 2025 at 5:56 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
The 5 eps of #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge indeed cured my soul in this miserable November. With many animals never addressed by a genus or species-level name, I kept making (hopefully educated) guesses about their identities based on my limited paleo knowledge. A 🧵 ahead for my guesses...
November 27, 2025 at 12:26 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
My only complaint about #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge is the "minus 50 degrees" at the beginning. It's Fahrenheit but not explicitly said to be. Only later I realized they aren't using metric. Traditional CN & JP sub converted to roughly correct Celsius (-45), but simplified CN weirdly gave -10. 1/2
November 26, 2025 at 3:18 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
They genuinely absolutely definitely want to destroy me. How can I be willing to be there anymore?
environmicrobio.bsky.social Roland Hatzenpichler @environmicrobio.bsky.social · Nov 14
“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:11 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
The Nanotyrannus of phylogenomics 😂 but apparently less attractive to ‘netizen scientists’ due to theological/technical barrier.
(Attaching a comb jelly photo I took—they’re amazing!)
Comb jelly species Leucothea japonica. Taken at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
The color scheme is based on its close relative Sinosauropteryx, I believe, which was inferred from preserved melanosomes.

Sinocalliopteryx may also be called “raptor-swallowing” as dromaeosaurid leg bones were found in the holotype’s stomach.
nataliajagielska.bsky.social Natalia Jagielska (娜塔莉) @nataliajagielska.bsky.social · Oct 23
"Cretaceous Thriller"
Sinocalliopteryx: the bird-swallowing dinosaur 🪶
A striped dinosaur with fluffy tail, jumping in front of red moon and catching a long-tailed early bird
November 11, 2025 at 4:13 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
An observation from almost a year ago. An #Okinawa sword-tailed #newt (Cynops ensicauda popei) was consuming a dead dragonfly. Several others approached during this but didn't get a bite. Associated iNat observation: www.inaturalist.org/observations...

youtu.be/o9d-0hufDfI
Sword-tailed Newt Consuming a Dragonfly
YouTube video by Rex Jiang
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
Going to save my soul in a stressful November…
astrapionte.bsky.social ☆ Astrapionté ☆ @astrapionte.bsky.social · Nov 8
PREHISTORIC PLANET : ICE AGE OUT NOV 26 only on Apple TV!
…
#paleoart #pleistocene #megafauna
November 8, 2025 at 10:18 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
I already decided that I don't wanna go to US in near future, yet this regime keeps giving me more reasons for it. The blatant ableism is a new one of them.
abcnews.go.com/Health/immig...
Immigrants with health conditions may be denied visas under new Trump administration guidance
Foreigners seeking U.S. visas might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions, including diabetes or obesity, under a directive from the Trump administration.
abcnews.go.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Daohan "Rex" Jiang
harmitmalik.bsky.social
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
November 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
This man can consider moving to US afterwards, claiming that he's politically persecuted. MAGA republicans would give him a warm welcome, if they don't mind him not being white enough.
bachynski.bsky.social Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · Nov 6
Brava: “If I don’t file a complaint, then what message does that send to all Mexican women?” Ms. Sheinbaum said at her daily news conference, noting sexual harassment was a crime… “If this can happen to the president, what’s going to happen to all the young women & women across our country?”
Mexico’s President Presses Charges Against Man Who Groped Her on the Street
www.nytimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:17 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
Agreed! Though my backyard is on an arguably far-off land (which, nevertheless, does share some fauna/flora with less far-off lands).
Two Okinawa sword-tailed newts (Cynops ensicauda popei) underwater. The species is endemic to the Ryukyu Islands, and this subspecies is endemic to the Okinawa Islands. A tawny hermit crab (Coenobita rugosus) without a snail shell. It was sitting by a piece of sponge on a skerry. A female oval Saint Andrew’s cross spider (Argiope aemula) on her web. A common sailer (Neptis hylas) resting on a tree branch.
November 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM
rexjiang.bsky.social
Citizens of the US still have the right to vote (albeit suppressed in many places), which can still make a difference.
Thanks to everyone who voted to defend your country and our world.
jgschraiber.bsky.social Joshua G. Schraiber @jgschraiber.bsky.social · Nov 5
It feels good to see a big and clear rejection of Trump and MAGA. Hope for the future. Let's keep building this.
November 5, 2025 at 7:08 AM
rexjiang.bsky.social
It’s once again time to re-share the most horrifying #Halloween setup I know, which I saw in 2020.
In front of a house, a “political graveyard” was set up, with cardboard-made tombs. Written on the tombs are “TRUTH”, “RESPECT”, “FACTS”, and “Justice/RIP RBG [Ruth Bader Ginsburg]”.
October 31, 2025 at 5:59 PM