Menno Schilthuizen
@schilthuizen.bsky.social
New book "The Urban Naturalist" (MIT Press, 1 Apr. 2025)
Author of 'Darwin Comes to Town' and 'Nature's Nether Regions'
Rubber-stamped 'tweets' on ecology & evolution. TED speaker
http://schilthuizen.com
http://taxonexpeditions.com
Leyden, Netherlands
Author of 'Darwin Comes to Town' and 'Nature's Nether Regions'
Rubber-stamped 'tweets' on ecology & evolution. TED speaker
http://schilthuizen.com
http://taxonexpeditions.com
Leyden, Netherlands
Pinned
We have a cover!
Click here for preordering the book: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204909...
Click here for preordering the book: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204909...
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Excited to share our new review in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com, coauthored w/allstar postdocs @vale-alaasam.bsky.social @annainthefield.bsky.social @anthonysnead.bsky.social Bridging island biogeography & evolutionary processes, we explore how eco-evo dynamics play out in the urban mosaic rdcu.be/e4tcj
Eco-evolutionary dynamics shaping biodiversity in the urban mosaic
Nature Reviews Biodiversity - The urban mosaic is a complex assimilation of habitats, biotic and abiotic factors with eco-evolutionary influence on local and regional biodiversity. In this Review,...
rdcu.be
February 18, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Excited to share our new review in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com, coauthored w/allstar postdocs @vale-alaasam.bsky.social @annainthefield.bsky.social @anthonysnead.bsky.social Bridging island biogeography & evolutionary processes, we explore how eco-evo dynamics play out in the urban mosaic rdcu.be/e4tcj
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
I am working with #citizenscientists this weekend in the @taxonexpeditions.bsky.social entomological collection, to screen insects for the presence of ectoparasitic microfungi. This project is supported by @msafungi.bsky.social. #TeamLaboul #Laboulbeniales
February 14, 2026 at 11:48 AM
I am working with #citizenscientists this weekend in the @taxonexpeditions.bsky.social entomological collection, to screen insects for the presence of ectoparasitic microfungi. This project is supported by @msafungi.bsky.social. #TeamLaboul #Laboulbeniales
Leuk stukje weer van onze correspondent in Pijnacker:
Slakje in Klaproostunnel www.telstar-online.nl/nieuws/actue...
Slakje in Klaproostunnel www.telstar-online.nl/nieuws/actue...
Slakje in Klaproostunnel
September 2025 zag ik in de Klaproostunnel in Pijnacker een fraai slakje op de witgeschilderde tunnelwand. Het huisje van de slak was slank, ongeveer een centimeter lang en het vertoonde vele tinten b...
www.telstar-online.nl
February 13, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Leuk stukje weer van onze correspondent in Pijnacker:
Slakje in Klaproostunnel www.telstar-online.nl/nieuws/actue...
Slakje in Klaproostunnel www.telstar-online.nl/nieuws/actue...
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
My illustration of one of the most iconic keystone species of the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus, female), or "beautiful, savory swimmer."
🧪🌿🌎🐡 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #sciviz #scicomm #crabs #BlueCrab
🧪🌿🌎🐡 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #sciviz #scicomm #crabs #BlueCrab
February 12, 2026 at 2:34 PM
My illustration of one of the most iconic keystone species of the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus, female), or "beautiful, savory swimmer."
🧪🌿🌎🐡 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #sciviz #scicomm #crabs #BlueCrab
🧪🌿🌎🐡 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #sciviz #scicomm #crabs #BlueCrab
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
After a few years of benign neglect I am rebuilding bionames.org, which is a database of 5.4 million taxonomomic names for animals, linked to half a million DOIs and 278K PDFs. Dream is for every species name to be linked to its original publication using a persistent identifier #PID
BioNames
bionames.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:39 PM
After a few years of benign neglect I am rebuilding bionames.org, which is a database of 5.4 million taxonomomic names for animals, linked to half a million DOIs and 278K PDFs. Dream is for every species name to be linked to its original publication using a persistent identifier #PID
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Liselotte Rambonnet over haar promotie: de kracht van burgerwetenschap
Liselotte Rambonnet over haar promotie: de kracht van burgerwetenschap
"Wat ik heb gezien in burgerwetenschap, is dat iedereen kan bijdragen aan het oplossen van problemen", zegt de kersverse doctor Liselotte Rambonnet. Tijdens haar promotie-onderzoek keek zij naar de waarde van burgerwetenschap. Op 3 februari verdedigde zij...
sleutelstad.nl
February 10, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Liselotte Rambonnet over haar promotie: de kracht van burgerwetenschap
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Delayed Anthropocene in the deep-sea biosphere: a last paradise soon lost? doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
Delayed Anthropocene in the deep-sea biosphere: a last paradise soon lost?
Abstract. The deep sea remains a last paradise and the place of minimal human impacts compared with other ecosystems. However, this pristine status is rapi
doi.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Delayed Anthropocene in the deep-sea biosphere: a last paradise soon lost? doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Nee @flevoland.nl we zijn niet blij. En de natuur ook niet en het klimaat ook niet. 10.000 vliegbewegingen dat zijn er 27 per dag. Behoudens de militaire vliegtuigen #LelystadAirport
February 5, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Nee @flevoland.nl we zijn niet blij. En de natuur ook niet en het klimaat ook niet. 10.000 vliegbewegingen dat zijn er 27 per dag. Behoudens de militaire vliegtuigen #LelystadAirport
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
urban impacts on primate diet in areas of human co-existence - find out more in our latest paper 🐒🏡@urbanvervetproject.bsky.social
Anthropogenic and Social Influences on Diet of Semi‐Urban Vervet Monkeys Using DNA Metabarcoding - Ecology and Evolution - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Anthropogenic and Social Influences on Diet of Semi‐Urban Vervet Monkeys Using DNA Metabarcoding - Ecology and Evolution - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Investigating Anthropogenic and Social Influences on Diet of Semi‐Urban Vervet Monkeys Using DNA Metabarcoding
We used eDNA metabarcoding of faecal samples to quantify the dietary composition of two vervet monkey populations in a semi-urban environment in South Africa over a 4-month period, and compared these...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:08 PM
urban impacts on primate diet in areas of human co-existence - find out more in our latest paper 🐒🏡@urbanvervetproject.bsky.social
Anthropogenic and Social Influences on Diet of Semi‐Urban Vervet Monkeys Using DNA Metabarcoding - Ecology and Evolution - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Anthropogenic and Social Influences on Diet of Semi‐Urban Vervet Monkeys Using DNA Metabarcoding - Ecology and Evolution - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Out now on the #CASBlog: Menno Schilthuizen @schilthuizen.bsky.social explains why “Darwin Still Informs the Origin of Species”. Thank you so much for your enriching contribution!
www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de/topics/globa...
www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de/topics/globa...
Darwin Still Informs the Origin of Species
Diversity is biology’s source of inspiration, of course, as the sheer endless variation in appearances and ways of life of the many millions of life forms on earth has been the core fascination for al...
www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de
February 5, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Out now on the #CASBlog: Menno Schilthuizen @schilthuizen.bsky.social explains why “Darwin Still Informs the Origin of Species”. Thank you so much for your enriching contribution!
www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de/topics/globa...
www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de/topics/globa...
I wrote a text for the blog of @caslmu.bsky.social, who hosted me for a seminar last year: www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de/topics/globa...
Darwin Still Informs the Origin of Species
Diversity is biology’s source of inspiration, of course, as the sheer endless variation in appearances and ways of life of the many millions of life forms on earth has been the core fascination for al...
www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de
February 4, 2026 at 5:28 PM
I wrote a text for the blog of @caslmu.bsky.social, who hosted me for a seminar last year: www.blog.cas.uni-muenchen.de/topics/globa...
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
“This one bird nest that we found turned out to be like a history book" 🪶
Thanks @eos.org for including my research in this article! 🐦🧪
Thanks @eos.org for including my research in this article! 🐦🧪
Nobody *likes* pollution…but sometimes it has its uses as a research tool.
Pollution Is Rampant. We Might As Well Make Use of It. - Eos
Human-made substances hold dangers for the environment, but they also give scientists a view into recent history.
eos.org
February 4, 2026 at 12:39 PM
“This one bird nest that we found turned out to be like a history book" 🪶
Thanks @eos.org for including my research in this article! 🐦🧪
Thanks @eos.org for including my research in this article! 🐦🧪
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Ruim 3200 pagina's aan Nederlandse tweets van Twitter met klimaatontkenning. Soms is het ook wel hilarisch om het te lezen.
Science and Climate Change Discourse on Dutch Twitter/X (2023): A Coded PDF Dataset
This dataset contains a systematically filtered and anonymized collection of Dutch-language Twitter/X posts from 2023 that explicitly reference science, scientific knowledge, or scientific authority i...
zenodo.org
February 4, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Ruim 3200 pagina's aan Nederlandse tweets van Twitter met klimaatontkenning. Soms is het ook wel hilarisch om het te lezen.
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
February 3, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
It's so cold in Boston right now that packs of coyotes are able to cross the water today.
📸: @jcass35
📸: @jcass35
February 2, 2026 at 6:29 PM
It's so cold in Boston right now that packs of coyotes are able to cross the water today.
📸: @jcass35
📸: @jcass35
Is it just me or do more and more grants come with some compulsory training course that is just a waste of time and money but that grantees say yes to because they don’t want to jeopardize their chances on getting funded?
February 3, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Is it just me or do more and more grants come with some compulsory training course that is just a waste of time and money but that grantees say yes to because they don’t want to jeopardize their chances on getting funded?
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Icelandic uses various animal poop in insults. Examples: Sparðatíningur (lamb poop picking) = you’re nitpicking. Kríuskítur (arctic tern poop) = you’re super pale. Tittlingaskítur (small bird poop) = doesn’t matter/small fry. Taðskegglingur (horse poop beard) = you’ve such a bad/nonexistent beard.
The meanings of seven different types of animal poop in English…
7. Apeshit = angry
6. Batshit = unhinged
5. Bullshit = lies (or unfair)
4. Horseshit = bigger lies (or totally unfair)
3. Chickenshit = cowardly
2. Dogshit = inferior quality
1. Catshit = what you do when someone throws a ball at you
7. Apeshit = angry
6. Batshit = unhinged
5. Bullshit = lies (or unfair)
4. Horseshit = bigger lies (or totally unfair)
3. Chickenshit = cowardly
2. Dogshit = inferior quality
1. Catshit = what you do when someone throws a ball at you
February 3, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Icelandic uses various animal poop in insults. Examples: Sparðatíningur (lamb poop picking) = you’re nitpicking. Kríuskítur (arctic tern poop) = you’re super pale. Tittlingaskítur (small bird poop) = doesn’t matter/small fry. Taðskegglingur (horse poop beard) = you’ve such a bad/nonexistent beard.
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Dr. Liselotte Rambonnet verdedigde vandaag haar proefschrift Plastic Detectives and Wildlife Guardians.
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/nieuws/2026/02/vrijwilligers-cruciaal-in-strijd-tegen-plasticvervuiling-en-bescherming-van-wilde-dieren
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/nieuws/2026/02/vrijwilligers-cruciaal-in-strijd-tegen-plasticvervuiling-en-bescherming-van-wilde-dieren
February 3, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Dr. Liselotte Rambonnet verdedigde vandaag haar proefschrift Plastic Detectives and Wildlife Guardians.
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/nieuws/2026/02/vrijwilligers-cruciaal-in-strijd-tegen-plasticvervuiling-en-bescherming-van-wilde-dieren
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/nieuws/2026/02/vrijwilligers-cruciaal-in-strijd-tegen-plasticvervuiling-en-bescherming-van-wilde-dieren
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Liselotte promoveerde bij @schilthuizen.bsky.social en @ionica.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy. Er zit wetenschapscommunicatie in, en Citizen Science, en het Leidse iniatief De Grachtwacht waar Liselotte mede aan de wieg stond - ik hoop in 2026 vaker mee te gaan.
Dus: op de leeslijst, toch maar.
Dus: op de leeslijst, toch maar.
De Grachtwacht
Met De Grachtwacht richten we ons op educatie, communicatie, onderzoek en clean-ups om schone grachten te bevorderen en mensen bewust te maken van de stadsnatuur in en rondom de gracht.
www.degrachtwacht.nl
February 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Liselotte promoveerde bij @schilthuizen.bsky.social en @ionica.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy. Er zit wetenschapscommunicatie in, en Citizen Science, en het Leidse iniatief De Grachtwacht waar Liselotte mede aan de wieg stond - ik hoop in 2026 vaker mee te gaan.
Dus: op de leeslijst, toch maar.
Dus: op de leeslijst, toch maar.
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Ik heb beroepsmatig honderden proefschriften, van culturele antropologie tot geneeskunde tot quantum-astronomie doorgeploeterd. Dus durf ik met enige autoriteit te zeggen dat vrijwel elk proefschrift niet. te. pruimen. is.
Maar ja, vandaag kwam deze, van @liselotterambonnet.nl
Maar ja, vandaag kwam deze, van @liselotterambonnet.nl
February 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Ik heb beroepsmatig honderden proefschriften, van culturele antropologie tot geneeskunde tot quantum-astronomie doorgeploeterd. Dus durf ik met enige autoriteit te zeggen dat vrijwel elk proefschrift niet. te. pruimen. is.
Maar ja, vandaag kwam deze, van @liselotterambonnet.nl
Maar ja, vandaag kwam deze, van @liselotterambonnet.nl
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Study Shows Microplastics Contaminate HALF Of All Freshwater Insects
#SciComm🧪 by @grrlscientist.bsky.social
#insects #PlasticPollution #Freshwater #ecology grrlscientist.medium.com/study-shows-...
#SciComm🧪 by @grrlscientist.bsky.social
#insects #PlasticPollution #Freshwater #ecology grrlscientist.medium.com/study-shows-...
Study Shows Microplastics Contaminate HALF Of All Freshwater Insects
Plastic pollution is not limited to the world’s oceans: it is present in freshwater ecosystems too, where it is far more pervasive than…
grrlscientist.medium.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Study Shows Microplastics Contaminate HALF Of All Freshwater Insects
#SciComm🧪 by @grrlscientist.bsky.social
#insects #PlasticPollution #Freshwater #ecology grrlscientist.medium.com/study-shows-...
#SciComm🧪 by @grrlscientist.bsky.social
#insects #PlasticPollution #Freshwater #ecology grrlscientist.medium.com/study-shows-...
Zou dat niet 24/7/52 moeten zijn?
January 29, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Zou dat niet 24/7/52 moeten zijn?
Reposted by Menno Schilthuizen
Lay chiding, and then pleased with my wife in bed, and did consent to her having a new waistcoate made her for that which she lost yesterday.
January 29, 2026 at 8:32 AM
Lay chiding, and then pleased with my wife in bed, and did consent to her having a new waistcoate made her for that which she lost yesterday.