Megan Sodano
LightNews LightNews
banner
sodanychus.bsky.social
Megan Sodano
@sodanychus.bsky.social
71 followers 160 following 16 posts
Drepanosaur enthusiast and amature paleoartist | PhD student at USC studying tetrapod claws | 🏳️‍🌈
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
sodanychus.bsky.social
Megan Sodano @sodanychus.bsky.social · Nov 19
Hello, my name is Megan and I'm a PhD student at USC studying tetrapod claws! I'm a big fan of paleoart, sci-comm, and anything Triassic.
The upper body of a long speckled Funcusvermis gilmorei, an amphibian related to modern-day Caecilians. It is crawling across moss with scattered ginkgo leaves nearby A pop art depiction of an orange Drepanosaurus unguicaudatus on a black background. This animal has a humpback shoulder, large arm claws, and a winding tail tipped with a claw. In the bottom right corner are horsetails and a lacewing. There are orange stars scattered in the background. A tan Dimetrodon is walking across a plain off-white background. It has a large head, thick neck, small legs, and a tall sail that extends past the border of the image. Two white resin casts of Drepanosaurus claws are held in a hand. Each is slightly larger in size than one of the phalanges of the person that is holding them.
Reposted by Megan Sodano
jackstack.bsky.social
Very excited to share my exploration of the phylogenetics of early ray-finned fishes, out today in the Anatomical Record! Really busy day but I’ll have more info shortly.

anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
An ontological morphological phylogenetic framework for living and extinct ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii)
The ray-finned fishes include one out of every two species of living vertebrates on Earth and have an abundant fossil record stretching 380 million years into the past. The division of systematic kno...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
anatrecord.bsky.social
New Triassic discovery! Researchers describe Fabanychus monos, new drepanosauromorph from Upper Chinle Formation (~214 Ma), AZ. Study of claw (ungual) anatomy via CT + histology reveals distinct morphotypes tied to ecology & taxonomy
Sodano et al: anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
October 25, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social
Drepanosaurs are great. We've got Turdhands, Claw Claw, and Beans, and they all looked kinda like this:
Paleoart of Drepanosaurus. It vaguely resembles a chameleon, but it has a birdlike beaked head, a massive claw on the second finger, a hump on its back, and a claw at the end of its thick tail. It is depicted hanging from a branch, with a striking green, orange, and cyan color scheme. By Scott Reid
October 23, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
arctomet.bsky.social
Gross anatomy and histological analysis of manual unguals of Drepanosauromorpha and description of a new taxon from the Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation (Late Triassic) of the southwestern United States - Sodano - The Anatomical Record anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Gross anatomy and histological analysis of manual unguals of Drepanosauromorpha (Sauropsida: Diapsida) and description of a new taxon from the Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation (Late Triassic) of the southwestern United States
Unguals (“claws”) are important tools that allow terrestrial vertebrates to navigate their environments, from subduing prey to climbing, running, and digging, with the shape of the element being broa...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
arctomet.bsky.social
P.J. Byrne et al. (2025)
Diverging trends in erythrocyte size elucidate cardiovascular evolution in stem dinosaurs and crocodilians
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292(2054): 20251286
doi: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Diverging trends in erythrocyte size elucidate cardiovascular evolution in stem dinosaurs and crocodilians | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Red blood cell (RBC) size constrains the rate of diffusion of gases between (i) the environment and the capillary beds of the gas exchanger and (ii) the blood and organs. In birds, small RBCs with a h...
doi.org
September 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
higherjobz.bsky.social
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geosciences – Princeton University, USA
Harry Hess Fellows Program 2026–27
Eligibility: PhD
Deadline: 1 October 2025
Details: higherjobz.com/princeton-po...

#Postdoc #AcademicJobs #USAJobs #ScienceCareer #PostdoctoralFellowship #EarthSciences
@princetonupress.bsky.social
Princeton Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geosciences 2026–27 |HigherJobz
Apply now for the Princeton University Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geosciences 2026–2027, USA. Competitive salary - Deadline: Oct 1, 2025.
higherjobz.com
August 30, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
semifossorial.bsky.social
It’s finally out!

Our work addressing the origins of reptiles is published in PCJ! peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10....

We use novel info gleaned from the scan data of dozens of stem reptiles to substantially revise our understanding of early reptile evolution #paleontology #herpetology
August 28, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
anatrecord.bsky.social
New study reveals surprising jaw diversity in early ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)!
Using XCT, researchers analyzed mandibles of 19 Devonian species—showing considerable variation in size, structure, and teeth.
Research by Ben Igielman et al.: anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
July 31, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
arctomet.bsky.social
Alaska N. Schubul, Adam D. Marsh & Ben T. Kligman (2025)

A diverse assemblage of tanystropheid archosauromorphs from the continental interior of Late Triassic Pangea includes a new taxon (Akidostropheus oligos gen. et sp. nov.)

Palaeodiversity 18(1): 99-125
bioone.org/journals/Pal...
doi.org
August 3, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
doublebeam.bsky.social
I will never NOT be amazed by 3D tanystropheid or azhdarchid cervicals 😮

bioone.org/journals/Pal...
A diverse assemblage of tanystropheid archosauromorphs from the continental interior of Late Triassic Pangea includes a new taxon (Akidostropheus oligos gen. et sp. nov.)
The upper Blue Mesa Member of the Chinle Formation at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, U.S.A., contains a remarkable diversity of Triassic vertebrate fossils. The locality PFV 456 includes hun...
bioone.org
August 2, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
stievenvdp.bsky.social
Weird dude update
drepanosaur with featherlike structures on its back.
August 2, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
serpenillus.bsky.social
Could extraordinary plume-like structures like those on Longisquama and the recently described Mirasaura be present in other drepanosauromorphs? I think it is not completely out of the question!

#paleoart #art
Sketches showing Mirasaura and Longisquama together with Vallesaurus,Megalancosaurus and Drepanosaurus all with dorsal crests formed plume-like structures like those present jn the first two taxa
July 29, 2025 at 1:16 PM
sodanychus.bsky.social
Some bugs from the field! A white lined sphinx moth, a robber fly (with a meal), and a silverfish!
A white lined sphinx moth sipping from pinkish-red flowers. A robber fly on a sandy ground over another insect it is eating. A silverfish on sandy ground.
July 28, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
restingdinoface.bsky.social
Look at this perfect Triassic friend. Mirasaura was a "monkey lizard" with a prominent sail on its back that wasn't really like scales or feathers. Studying these fossils also revealed that the enigma Longisquama is a drepanosaur with a fan, too. I'll tell you more at @smithsonianmag.bsky.social
This Surprising Ancient Reptile Had a Colorful, Corrugated Sail on Its Back. New Research Suggests It Was Used to Communicate
A 247-million-year-old fossil from a German natural history museum reveals the secrets of Mirasaura
www.smithsonianmag.com
July 23, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
stephanspiekman.bsky.social
I am proud and grateful to present a dream project today in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Meet #Mirasaura grauvogeli, a #wonderreptilewith skin appendages that rival feathers and hairs, challenging our view of reptile #evolution🪶🦎
Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto
July 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
serpenillus.bsky.social
Here it is! Please welcome the AMAZING Mirasaura grauvogeli, a NEW MARVELOUS Drepanosaur published in NATURE today!
This astonishing reptile lived during the Middle Triassic in Europe and it possessed an amazing crest made of plume-like structures!

I was commissioned to bring it to life
#paleoart
Illustration showing a pair of Mirasaura perched on fern fronds. The green animals show their tall orange, brown and white crests while a small beetle flies over one of them
July 23, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
arctomet.bsky.social
Adam D. Marsh (2025)
A large silesaurid specimen from Petrified Forest National Park, U.S.A., with comments on large body sizes in latest Triassic ornithodirans
Lithodendron 2: 1–15
doi: doi/10.69575/RPK...
petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/lithodendron...
A large Silesaurid Specimen from Petrified Forest National Park – Lithodendron
petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org
July 2, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
pauloleiteart.bsky.social
Drepanosaurus. Sculpted in ZBrush, textured in Substance 3D Painter and rendered in Blender. #paleoart #drepanosaurus #art #3D #3Dart
June 30, 2025 at 5:37 PM
sodanychus.bsky.social
Gulf fritillaries were out in droves today! I saw a ton of the little guys crawling on the sidewalk and the parking lot. The spines might look dangerous but they actually can’t sting.
A large orange-striped caterpillar with long black spines crawling on the back of my hand. A side view of a large orange striped caterpillar with long black spines crawling on the back of my hand.
July 2, 2025 at 1:39 AM
sodanychus.bsky.social
Lost in the sauce (moss). The result of a tunneling adventure
June 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
sodanychus.bsky.social
Almost gave myself a heart attack when I didn’t see Raptor in his usual sleeping spot under his big hide. I forgot that I dug a pit under his log when I cleaned his tank so he curl up without his tail sticking out. Also didn’t remember I took a pic of him sleeping there earlier. Disaster averted
A hollowed log hide with a blue tongue skink’s head peeking out resting over his tail
June 23, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Reposted by Megan Sodano
gsferreira.bsky.social
🚨🚨PhD position alert!🚨🚨
Do you like 🐢🐢? Or ecomorph evolution? I am offering a 36-month PhD position funded by the DFG about ecomorphology and neuroanatomy of turtles. Check out the ad here: www.senckenberg.de/en/career/sc...

Please share and if you have questions, send me a message 😉
May 30, 2025 at 8:40 AM
sodanychus.bsky.social
Found a friend (gulf fritillary) on the asphalt, hopefully it was just looking for a place to pupate and not hungry since I couldn’t find any passionflower vines nearby.
A grey caterpillar with orange stripes and thin black spines is curled on a leaf. A side view of a grey caterpillar with orange stripes and thin black spines curled on a leaf
May 16, 2025 at 1:29 AM
sodanychus.bsky.social
Got some great deals on some cool books at the LA Times Festival of Books today. I had to store the rest of the books I picked up in a friend’s office so my arm didn’t fall off on the way home haha.
Three books, a John James Audubon bird book, Birds an artist’s view by Terrance James Bond, and Your inner fish by Neil Shubin, are held up in front of the banner for the LA times festival of books.
April 26, 2025 at 11:44 PM