Catherine Sheard
@sheardcat.bsky.social
Fellow @ University of Aberdeen. Professionally: macroevolution, especially birds & languages. Personally: drinks too much coffee, plays too much D&D.
she/her
she/her
Pinned
Catherine Sheard
@sheardcat.bsky.social
· Jun 25
New pinned intro time:
Hi! I'm Catherine, a PI (fellow/lecturer) at the University of Aberdeen. My lab works on trait macroevolution, particularly the causes/consequences of behavioural innovations. I'm a senior editor at GEB, co-chair of BES Macro, and have zero chill about the northern lights.
Hi! I'm Catherine, a PI (fellow/lecturer) at the University of Aberdeen. My lab works on trait macroevolution, particularly the causes/consequences of behavioural innovations. I'm a senior editor at GEB, co-chair of BES Macro, and have zero chill about the northern lights.
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Your fact of the day:
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
Fowl Play: How US Chicken Imports will Pollute Britain's Poor
Since joining the EU British food has gone from bog-awful to top-notch, but Otto English reveals how a US Trade deal will unravel 40 years of progress.
bylinetimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Your fact of the day:
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
Waving goodbye to 2025 in the most North Country way possible: listening to Radio Bob on NCPR and watching the snow fall.
January 1, 2026 at 4:19 AM
Waving goodbye to 2025 in the most North Country way possible: listening to Radio Bob on NCPR and watching the snow fall.
Alright, for all that I've been complaining about ReX (Wiley's new editorial system) and how awful its roll-out has been, the new queuing system is pretty slick.
December 31, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Alright, for all that I've been complaining about ReX (Wiley's new editorial system) and how awful its roll-out has been, the new queuing system is pretty slick.
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
The world as 100 people over the last two centuries
December 31, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The world as 100 people over the last two centuries
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
I want to print YOU DON'T GET GOOD AT A THING BY NOT DOING IT onto little cards and just hand them out in conversation sometimes
D1) again, this is difficult to pull off at longer lengths. But you don't get good at a thing by not doing it.
E) YOU DON'T GET GOOD AT A THING BY NOT DOING IT done is better than perfect. Don't worry so much about "practicing right" just practice. You can adjust as you need as you go on.
E) YOU DON'T GET GOOD AT A THING BY NOT DOING IT done is better than perfect. Don't worry so much about "practicing right" just practice. You can adjust as you need as you go on.
December 31, 2025 at 6:11 PM
I want to print YOU DON'T GET GOOD AT A THING BY NOT DOING IT onto little cards and just hand them out in conversation sometimes
My father owns headphones. Really nice ones, in fact.
Is he using them to watch political commentary on his laptop on full volume whilst I'm trying to sleep in the next room over?
No. No, he is not. 😅
Is he using them to watch political commentary on his laptop on full volume whilst I'm trying to sleep in the next room over?
No. No, he is not. 😅
December 31, 2025 at 4:02 AM
My father owns headphones. Really nice ones, in fact.
Is he using them to watch political commentary on his laptop on full volume whilst I'm trying to sleep in the next room over?
No. No, he is not. 😅
Is he using them to watch political commentary on his laptop on full volume whilst I'm trying to sleep in the next room over?
No. No, he is not. 😅
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
not too late for a flu shot btw, flu historically often peaks in february and by all accounts it is pretty bad this year
Flu deaths exceeded COVID deaths last winter and we may be on track for the same thing this year!
I can speak anecdotally that at the hospital I work at we’ve had very low covid census. We test anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms, and we’ve had very few people with Covid who have needed to be hospitalized. Which is a relief because we are absolutely inundated with flu rn
December 29, 2025 at 5:20 PM
not too late for a flu shot btw, flu historically often peaks in february and by all accounts it is pretty bad this year
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Goat down! I repeat: Goat down! www.dn.se/sverige/stor...
December 27, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Goat down! I repeat: Goat down! www.dn.se/sverige/stor...
Well, that's fascinating.
This data is old (2017) but it makes a point I’m not tiring to repeat: as privileged people we are terrible at estimating how good we have it. Americans and Australians think that a whopping 43% of the world are richer than they are. The median US income puts you in the top three percent globally.
December 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Well, that's fascinating.
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
*Guaranteed funding* PhD opportunity in my group. Work with damselflies, UN global biodiversity targets, genetic data, and NatureScot policy groups; the project will advance comparative population genetics and provide evidence feeding directly to policy. www.findaphd.com/phds/project....
QUARTILES DLA CASE: Genetic diversity and adaptation: Developing indicators for national and international policy at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - QUARTILES DLA CASE: Genetic diversity and adaptation: Developing indicators for national and international policy at University of Aberdeen , listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
*Guaranteed funding* PhD opportunity in my group. Work with damselflies, UN global biodiversity targets, genetic data, and NatureScot policy groups; the project will advance comparative population genetics and provide evidence feeding directly to policy. www.findaphd.com/phds/project....
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
there's a certain way certain people write fiction about disability that really sets my teeth on edge, and it's an approach that I can only describe as 'educational hugboxing'
in this, portrayal of disability must be constantly affirming, and it must use specific and correct terminology
(🧵)
in this, portrayal of disability must be constantly affirming, and it must use specific and correct terminology
(🧵)
December 25, 2025 at 11:11 AM
there's a certain way certain people write fiction about disability that really sets my teeth on edge, and it's an approach that I can only describe as 'educational hugboxing'
in this, portrayal of disability must be constantly affirming, and it must use specific and correct terminology
(🧵)
in this, portrayal of disability must be constantly affirming, and it must use specific and correct terminology
(🧵)
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Acceptable answers are b, c, and d.
Jingle Bells is not a Christmas song.
Also the person who wrote it, James Lord Pierpont, was my great great uncle and also a terrible person.
Jingle Bells is not a Christmas song.
Also the person who wrote it, James Lord Pierpont, was my great great uncle and also a terrible person.
December 25, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Acceptable answers are b, c, and d.
Jingle Bells is not a Christmas song.
Also the person who wrote it, James Lord Pierpont, was my great great uncle and also a terrible person.
Jingle Bells is not a Christmas song.
Also the person who wrote it, James Lord Pierpont, was my great great uncle and also a terrible person.
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
December 19, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
amazing photo on spanish wikipedia's chinchilla article
December 19, 2025 at 11:11 PM
amazing photo on spanish wikipedia's chinchilla article
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Funny animal videos no longer being trustworthy just fucking sucks all around. I love the wonder of animal behavior and what it says about the experience of being alive. It's because it happened in reality that it's so fun. It's not fun if it was just made up. There's no wonder there.
December 19, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Funny animal videos no longer being trustworthy just fucking sucks all around. I love the wonder of animal behavior and what it says about the experience of being alive. It's because it happened in reality that it's so fun. It's not fun if it was just made up. There's no wonder there.
Ordering coffee in North America is baffling if you're used to European terminology.
"Could I get a peppermint mocha, please?"
"Sure. Do you want the latte or the coffee?"
???
"Could I get a peppermint mocha, please?"
"Sure. Do you want the latte or the coffee?"
???
December 19, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Ordering coffee in North America is baffling if you're used to European terminology.
"Could I get a peppermint mocha, please?"
"Sure. Do you want the latte or the coffee?"
???
"Could I get a peppermint mocha, please?"
"Sure. Do you want the latte or the coffee?"
???
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Festive update on chondrichthyan jaw evolution: Evolution of chondrichthyan jaw morphology, from ecological generalists to specialists, led by Ben Griffin, with help from @evopalaeo.bsky.social @euphanerops.bsky.social @emilyrayfield.bsky.social Pablo Milla Carmona and Zerina Johanson
Evolution of chondrichthyan jaw morphology, from ecological generalists to specialists | Paleobiology | Cambridge Core
Evolution of chondrichthyan jaw morphology, from ecological generalists to specialists
www.cambridge.org
December 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Festive update on chondrichthyan jaw evolution: Evolution of chondrichthyan jaw morphology, from ecological generalists to specialists, led by Ben Griffin, with help from @evopalaeo.bsky.social @euphanerops.bsky.social @emilyrayfield.bsky.social Pablo Milla Carmona and Zerina Johanson
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
What Should You Do About H3N2 Flu? There's a lot to worry about right now on the winter virus front, but get your flu shot anyway. Seriously. Get your flu shot, by @angierasmussen.bsky.social rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/what-you-s...
What You Should Do About H3N2 Flu
There's a lot to worry about right now on the winter virus front, but get your flu shot anyway. Seriously. Get your flu shot.
rasmussenretorts.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:18 PM
What Should You Do About H3N2 Flu? There's a lot to worry about right now on the winter virus front, but get your flu shot anyway. Seriously. Get your flu shot, by @angierasmussen.bsky.social rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/what-you-s...
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Our manuscript is now out in @royalsocietypublishing.org! We tested hypotheses that Cenozoic climatic change influenced the evolution of the cranial, appendicular, & axial skeleton in carnivorans. @tsengzj.bsky.social @hlusko.bsky.social
🧵 1/n
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
🧵 1/n
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
December 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Our manuscript is now out in @royalsocietypublishing.org! We tested hypotheses that Cenozoic climatic change influenced the evolution of the cranial, appendicular, & axial skeleton in carnivorans. @tsengzj.bsky.social @hlusko.bsky.social
🧵 1/n
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
🧵 1/n
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
4/ Ventilation saves lives. Clean indoor air, through ventilation or filtration, dramatically cuts the spread of respiratory infections. It’s time to treat air quality like food hygiene: a basic public health requirement.
December 16, 2025 at 11:49 AM
4/ Ventilation saves lives. Clean indoor air, through ventilation or filtration, dramatically cuts the spread of respiratory infections. It’s time to treat air quality like food hygiene: a basic public health requirement.
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Excited to launch the new improved Reproducible Code guide from @britishecologicalsociety.org @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social FREE online here! www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/... Amazing work by some very talented ECRs. We hope it’s useful!
December 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Excited to launch the new improved Reproducible Code guide from @britishecologicalsociety.org @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social FREE online here! www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/... Amazing work by some very talented ECRs. We hope it’s useful!
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
Here are just a few of the many fish I painted this year (not to scale). It's fun to stick a bunch of them together into a collage and see some of the incredible diversity of body shape and color patterns. Merry Fishmas!
🐡🐟🐠
🐡🐟🐠
December 16, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Here are just a few of the many fish I painted this year (not to scale). It's fun to stick a bunch of them together into a collage and see some of the incredible diversity of body shape and color patterns. Merry Fishmas!
🐡🐟🐠
🐡🐟🐠
Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight | Bronzati et al. | Current Biology
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
Bronzati et al. show that pterosaurs, the first flying reptiles, evolved brains resembling
bird precursors but not modern birds. They also demonstrate that, unlike birds, which
built on inherited dino...
www.cell.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight | Bronzati et al. | Current Biology
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
An actual conversation I once had with my father:
"Someone wants to see you when you're in town."
Who?
"Dunno. Maybe one of your old teachers? She's Protestant. Or maybe Catholic but doesn't go to church much."
Well, what does she look like?
"Dunno."
Any other clues?
"Nope."
"Someone wants to see you when you're in town."
Who?
"Dunno. Maybe one of your old teachers? She's Protestant. Or maybe Catholic but doesn't go to church much."
Well, what does she look like?
"Dunno."
Any other clues?
"Nope."
December 15, 2025 at 3:50 PM
An actual conversation I once had with my father:
"Someone wants to see you when you're in town."
Who?
"Dunno. Maybe one of your old teachers? She's Protestant. Or maybe Catholic but doesn't go to church much."
Well, what does she look like?
"Dunno."
Any other clues?
"Nope."
"Someone wants to see you when you're in town."
Who?
"Dunno. Maybe one of your old teachers? She's Protestant. Or maybe Catholic but doesn't go to church much."
Well, what does she look like?
"Dunno."
Any other clues?
"Nope."
Reposted by Catherine Sheard
I really can't recommend the Macro Committee enough - we have tons of fun and organise a really cool annual meeting :)
Join the BES Macro committee!
We're recruiting a vice chair and 1-2 ordinary members to help us make macroecology & macroevolution a better place.
More information on how to apply in the link, and come chat at #BES2025 if you happen to be around!
www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/...
We're recruiting a vice chair and 1-2 ordinary members to help us make macroecology & macroevolution a better place.
More information on how to apply in the link, and come chat at #BES2025 if you happen to be around!
www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/...
December 15, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I really can't recommend the Macro Committee enough - we have tons of fun and organise a really cool annual meeting :)