Stu Pond
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stupond.bsky.social
Stu Pond
@stupond.bsky.social
280 followers 180 following 130 posts
PaleoStu. Self-employed creative specialising in scientific visualisation, illustration, motion graphics, graphic design, 3D. Avocational palaeontologist working on armoured dinosaurs. Scientific Associate at The Natural History Museum, London 🦕
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Reposted by Stu Pond
valdosaurus.bsky.social
The foot of the #IsleofWight iguanodontian dinosaur Comptonatus chasei and a 125 million year old foot cast also from the island. The island provided Richard Owen with the first good evidence for the dinosaur origins of the tracks. #FossilFriday.
January 1, 2026 at 11:43 PM
stupond.bsky.social
This is a delightful article about an event we all are familiar with. The world needs more philosophical mirth.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
When 21 men saw in the new year by dining in a dinosaur
Guests braved the cold of December 1853 to have dinner inside a concrete mould of a dinosaur in a warehouse.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 1:50 PM
stupond.bsky.social
Good to see salmon back in the Mersey, Goyt and Bollin. Here at the foot of the Cheshire Peak District close to the Bollin‘s source, we see dippers, kingfishers, wagtails, trout, egrets etc. The river is not treated kindly as it winds its way join the Mersey.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Young Atlantic salmon seen in three English rivers for first time in a decade
Species that is critically endangered in Britain is spotted in Mersey, Bollin and Goyt rivers in north-west
www.theguardian.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:40 PM
stupond.bsky.social
Great piece on this morning's Today program on Radio 4 about the discovery of the weird and very spiky Jurassic ankylosaur Spicomellus from Morocco, featuring @tweetisaurus.bsky.social, @richardjbutler.bsky.social, @ahmedoussou.bsky.social and @simonwills.bsky.social.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
How scientists discovered a 165m-year-old bizarre dinosaur - BBC Sounds
Our science editor Rebecca Morelle went behind the scenes at the Natural History Museum.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 30, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Reposted by Stu Pond
tweetisaurus.bsky.social
JOB KLAXON! The @nhm-london.bsky.social is recruiting a micro-CT specialist! jobs.nhm.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
CT Data and Micro CT Specialist :South Kensington
jobs.nhm.ac.uk
December 23, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Reposted by Stu Pond
ichnologist.bsky.social
For #FossilFriday & in celebration of all teachers ("K to gray") finishing grades this time of the year, here's me performing a similar task, trying to keep a Late Jurassic sandstone bed with its natural cast of a sauropod track from falling off the outcrop; near Morrison CO (west of Denver). 🧪🦕🐾🪨⚒️
Me—oldish white guy with light-brown broad-brimmed hat, green shirt, olive-gray shorts, black running shoes—pushing up against a reddish sandstone layer above my head; another sandstone layer above that has a blue in its lower surface, which is a natural cast of a Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaur.
December 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
valdosaurus.bsky.social
A dinosaur perk was that worn teeth got replaced. A section of the lower jaw of a big iguanodontian from the #IsleofWight shows the process. Tooth replacement was organised in waves known as Zahnreihen, so that large sections of the jaw weren’t left toothless (enlarge to see numbers). #FossilFriday
December 19, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Reposted by Stu Pond
robinince.bsky.social
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career. I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters. Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by Stu Pond
valdosaurus.bsky.social
For #FossilFriday a sacrum from a medium sized iguanodontian in the collections of @nhm-london.bsky.social. Found at Sudmoor Point on the #IsleofWight by Reginald Hooley a wine merchant from Southampton who also discovered the fabulous Mantellisaurus in 1914. Iggy sacra are so aesthetic.
December 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
profpaulbarrett.bsky.social
I’m a week late but it would be remiss of me not to mark the @nhm-london.bsky.social birthday of Sophie the Stegosaurus #FossilFriday 🎂🎂🎂
December 12, 2025 at 10:50 AM
stupond.bsky.social
Dorsal view of the skull of Pinacosaurus, the specimen is still in its field jacket. Seen at the Dinosaurs of China exhibition in 2017. #FossilFriday
Dorsal view of the skull of Pinacosaurus, the specimen is still in its field jacket. Seen at the Dinosaurs of China exhibition in 2017.
December 12, 2025 at 9:13 AM
stupond.bsky.social
What fresh hell is this

illustrae.co?fbclid=IwY2x...
Illustrae - Professional Scientific Illustration Platform
Create beautiful scientific illustrations instantly with AI. Perfect for research papers, presentations, and educational materials.
illustrae.co
December 8, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
ichnologist.bsky.social
Watched S5 E1 ("The Crawl") of #StrangerThings last night & was thrilled to see gorgeous examples of drill holes made by a yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) in the trunk of what's likely a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda); Will Byers (Noah Schnapps) for scale. 🧪🌲🪵🐦🕳️
Still image from Season 5, Episode 1 of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things' showing Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp) experiencing psychic distress while holding onto the trunk of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), which has several horizontal rows of drill holes made by a yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius). Still image from Season 5, Episode 1 of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things' showing Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp) continuing to experience psychic distress, but now standing in front of the trunk of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), which has several horizontal rows of drill holes made by a yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius).
November 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
ichnologist.bsky.social
OK then, I WILL promote my book!
'Tracking the Golden Isles: The Natural and Human Histories of the Georgia Coast' was first published in hardback May 2020 (gee, was anything else happening then?). But a PAPERBACK edition is coming out in March 2026! Preorder here: www.ugapress.org/978082037806... 📚
November 27, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Reposted by Stu Pond
ichnologist.bsky.social
Just in case my U.S. followers need to track down a turkey for Thanksgiving, here's a helpful guide in a November 2012 blog post by Yours Truly, with insights on the behavioral ecology of wild turkeys on a Georgia-coast barrier island (Cumberland). 🧪🦃🐾

www.georgialifetraces.com/2012/11/20/t...
Tracking Wild Turkeys on the Georgia Coast
Of the many traditions associated with the celebration of Thanksgiving in the U.S., the most commonly mentioned one is the ritual consumption of an avian theropod, Meleagris gallopavo, simply known…
www.georgialifetraces.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:17 PM
stupond.bsky.social
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November 20, 2025 at 8:10 AM
stupond.bsky.social
Snow on the tops this morning here on the edge of the Peak District in Cheshire. #snow
Snowy hills at the edge of the Peak District, with bare trees and green field beneath.
November 19, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Reposted by Stu Pond
tweetisaurus.bsky.social
It's the end of the #2025SVP UK dinos field trip. We finished with a visit to Dewars Farm dinosaur track site (muddy), and the Oxford Uni Museum, where we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Buckland archives and collections. Home for sleep...
November 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
cascoclauda.bsky.social
incredible! a gorgeously preserved skull from tupandactylus imperator has been described, offering new insights into its dietary ecology and soft tissues 😻
www.scielo.br/j/aabc/a/6Hv...
(art by maurilio oliveira)
the stunning next skull attributed to t. imperator art of t. imperator soaring over a lagoon on a sunny day, plant material clasped in its beak
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
stupond.bsky.social
Nothing on the news, but the storm that blew through last night was the worst I’ve ever seen. Trees down all across the village, structural damage (lost a soffit), roofs blown off buildings. I collected conkers from this beautiful horse chestnut a few weeks ago. The pool is new too.
November 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
journalsystpal.bsky.social
For the 85th SVP Meeting 2025, we've assembled a collection of landmark vertebrate palaeontology papers.
Next: The phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of armoured dinosaurs (Ornithischia). Raven 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2023) buff.ly/aEn5huc @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social @tweetisaurus.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
ichnologist.bsky.social
For #FossilFriday & in honor of @alinemghilardi.bsky.social & colleagues' fantastic discovery of a new Cretaceous pterosaur in Brazil in a dinosaur regurgitalite ("fossil vomit"), here's a diagram I made for my book 'Dinosaurs Without Bones' (2014) showing the physics of a puking brachiosaur. 🧪🦕🤮🪨
Cartoon depicting the black silhouette of a brachiosaur (long-necked dinosaur) vomiting from 14 meters (45 feet) above, and two small theropod dinosaurs fleeing from its impact; the deadly result of the impact velocity is shown in the upper right as a partial theropod skeleton with a splatter pattern around it. The cartoon has the following text: Brachiosaurus projectile vomiting: forces generated and resulting traces "Assuming 50 kg (110 lbs) of regurgitant, impact velocity from 14 m (45 ft) height, and hard-packed sand as impact site," and "Impact velocity = V = V 2gh = 16.6 m/s; kinetic energy before impact = 6,860 J Average impact force = 68,600 N." An original figure by me (Anthony J. Martin) in my book 'Dinosaurs Without Bones' (2014, Pegasus Books).
November 14, 2025 at 1:14 PM
stupond.bsky.social
Sadly I can't be at #2025SVP, and thanks to all the tweeters for keeping us informed. Here are some 3D meshes of dinosaur skeletons I have created for research and outreach, based on 3D data from photogrammetry, lidar & first-hand observation. I hope to have prints of this available soon! #SciArt
3D meshes of dinosaur skeletons created for research and outreach.
November 14, 2025 at 8:15 AM
stupond.bsky.social
Great article about excellent palaeontologist and my good friend @valdosaurus.bsky.social.

www.port.ac.uk/news-events-...
Retired GP discovers three new dinosaur species on the Isle of Wight and proves you’re never too old to do a PhD
www.port.ac.uk
November 13, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Stu Pond
markwitton.bsky.social
Scenes from the #SVP2025 #2025SVP #paleoart workshop. We had terrific talks from @cpdinosaurs.bsky.social, @tetzoo.bsky.social, @palaeojules.bsky.social and @bobnichollsart.bsky.social, as well as fantastic discussion from attendees. Thanks to everyone who contributed, I hope you all enjoyed it!
November 12, 2025 at 7:37 AM