Thomas Cullen
@thomascullen.bsky.social
Asst. Prof. of Paleobiology and Curator at Auburn University | Adjunct Prof at Carleton University | RCGS Fellow | PhD from UToronto. Views my own. thomasmcullen.net
Pinned
Thomas Cullen
@thomascullen.bsky.social
· Oct 25
Hello! I'm Tom, I'm a palaeontologist & ecologist, working as a prof at Auburn U. I research community dynamics, life history, & biodiversity of organisms in ancient greenhouse environments using a variety of methods. I've also done a fair bit of museum work & exhibit development, & love fieldwork.
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
SO COOL!! Sulphur taking the shape of a pinecone!! It replaced the original material. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
February 9, 2026 at 12:37 PM
SO COOL!! Sulphur taking the shape of a pinecone!! It replaced the original material. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
RVC will be advertising 2 new faculty posts soon, broadly in comparative biomedical science (our department name). Email me jhutchinson@rvc.ac.uk to get informed (I am not on the search panel; just helping). www.rvc.ac.uk/about/the-rv...
Our Departments - The RVC - About - Royal Veterinary College, RVC
The RVC's academic departments reflect the many challenges facing society today and ensures that our research, teaching and clinical activities continue to innovate and lead the way in veterinary medicine and science
www.rvc.ac.uk
February 6, 2026 at 4:38 PM
RVC will be advertising 2 new faculty posts soon, broadly in comparative biomedical science (our department name). Email me jhutchinson@rvc.ac.uk to get informed (I am not on the search panel; just helping). www.rvc.ac.uk/about/the-rv...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
"There is still life in the old dog."
Brian Charlesworth on Fisher's Fundamental Theorem in @journal-evo.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Brian Charlesworth on Fisher's Fundamental Theorem in @journal-evo.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Is the Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection of any use?
Abstract. There have been many recent discussions of the Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection, with an emphasis on its mathematical accuracy. It is arg
doi.org
February 2, 2026 at 8:38 PM
"There is still life in the old dog."
Brian Charlesworth on Fisher's Fundamental Theorem in @journal-evo.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Brian Charlesworth on Fisher's Fundamental Theorem in @journal-evo.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Read the paper here, FREE:
Nielsen J; Fowler DW; Wyenberg-Henzler, T; Jacobsen AR, & Pearce, C. (2026) Investigating size-asymmetric feeding among tyrannosaurids using tooth marks on a metatarsal from the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA. Evolving Earth
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nielsen J; Fowler DW; Wyenberg-Henzler, T; Jacobsen AR, & Pearce, C. (2026) Investigating size-asymmetric feeding among tyrannosaurids using tooth marks on a metatarsal from the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA. Evolving Earth
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Investigating size-asymmetric feeding among tyrannosaurids using tooth marks on a metatarsal from the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA
The Judith River Formation in Montana, USA, is a key Campanian-aged sedimentary package, with a rich fossil assemblage, including multiple tyrannosaur…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Read the paper here, FREE:
Nielsen J; Fowler DW; Wyenberg-Henzler, T; Jacobsen AR, & Pearce, C. (2026) Investigating size-asymmetric feeding among tyrannosaurids using tooth marks on a metatarsal from the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA. Evolving Earth
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nielsen J; Fowler DW; Wyenberg-Henzler, T; Jacobsen AR, & Pearce, C. (2026) Investigating size-asymmetric feeding among tyrannosaurids using tooth marks on a metatarsal from the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA. Evolving Earth
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Look at these gorgeous deep green crystals of uvarovite, some showing that classic garnet crystal shape!! It’s from Outokumpu, Finland. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
February 2, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Look at these gorgeous deep green crystals of uvarovite, some showing that classic garnet crystal shape!! It’s from Outokumpu, Finland. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: at 2,982 carats, it’s the largest cut gem in this museum’s collection! #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
January 27, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: at 2,982 carats, it’s the largest cut gem in this museum’s collection! #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Therapod dinosaur Unenlagia comahuensis ready to pounce. #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪🦖
January 23, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Therapod dinosaur Unenlagia comahuensis ready to pounce. #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪🦖
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Writing is thinking
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
January 18, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Writing is thinking
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
🚨 New paper out in @ecography.bsky.social ! 📝
Led by Dr. Søren Faurby, we built upon the estimated unrecorded bird extinctions by @r-cooke.bsky.social et al. 2023 and try to estimate the corresponding unrecorded loss of phylogenetic diversity. 🦤🧬
Check the full paper here:
doi.org/10.1002/ecog...
Led by Dr. Søren Faurby, we built upon the estimated unrecorded bird extinctions by @r-cooke.bsky.social et al. 2023 and try to estimate the corresponding unrecorded loss of phylogenetic diversity. 🦤🧬
Check the full paper here:
doi.org/10.1002/ecog...
Quantifying the unrecorded loss of avian phylogenetic diversity
Humans have drastically reduced avian diversity, with the majority of extinctions occurring on islands. Previous studies have quantified various aspects of this decline, including both taxonomic and ...
doi.org
January 13, 2026 at 10:53 AM
🚨 New paper out in @ecography.bsky.social ! 📝
Led by Dr. Søren Faurby, we built upon the estimated unrecorded bird extinctions by @r-cooke.bsky.social et al. 2023 and try to estimate the corresponding unrecorded loss of phylogenetic diversity. 🦤🧬
Check the full paper here:
doi.org/10.1002/ecog...
Led by Dr. Søren Faurby, we built upon the estimated unrecorded bird extinctions by @r-cooke.bsky.social et al. 2023 and try to estimate the corresponding unrecorded loss of phylogenetic diversity. 🦤🧬
Check the full paper here:
doi.org/10.1002/ecog...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Guess the Gem today!! What mineral or variety do you think this gem is? Hint: it has a schiller. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
January 13, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Guess the Gem today!! What mineral or variety do you think this gem is? Hint: it has a schiller. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
FACETS in the news!
Draining Prairie wetlands is quietly driving up Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. A new FACETS study shows wetland loss boosts agricultural emissions by at least 5%—a major blind spot in national climate accounting. 🌾 Read the news article by #620CKRM: https://ow.ly/PX7S50XVM2U
Draining Prairie wetlands is quietly driving up Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. A new FACETS study shows wetland loss boosts agricultural emissions by at least 5%—a major blind spot in national climate accounting. 🌾 Read the news article by #620CKRM: https://ow.ly/PX7S50XVM2U
Prairie wetland drainage is increasing Canada’s carbon footprint: study
REGINA — A new study published in the international science journal FACETS shows that draining small agricultural Prairie wetlands is adding significantly to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, with a cost that researchers say has been large...
ow.ly
January 13, 2026 at 2:02 PM
FACETS in the news!
Draining Prairie wetlands is quietly driving up Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. A new FACETS study shows wetland loss boosts agricultural emissions by at least 5%—a major blind spot in national climate accounting. 🌾 Read the news article by #620CKRM: https://ow.ly/PX7S50XVM2U
Draining Prairie wetlands is quietly driving up Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. A new FACETS study shows wetland loss boosts agricultural emissions by at least 5%—a major blind spot in national climate accounting. 🌾 Read the news article by #620CKRM: https://ow.ly/PX7S50XVM2U
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
So this one is bacon adjacent, it looks like wagyu beef 😂. This is the pink variety thulite of the mineral zoisite from Norway. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
January 12, 2026 at 12:41 PM
So this one is bacon adjacent, it looks like wagyu beef 😂. This is the pink variety thulite of the mineral zoisite from Norway. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
A shake-up of the dinosaur family tree! Rhabdodontids are not ornithopods. They are ceratopsians.
There were horned dinosaurs in Europe! As shown by a new fossil of Ajkaceratops from Hungary!
Check out our new study, led by @tweetisaurus.bsky.social ⤵️
There were horned dinosaurs in Europe! As shown by a new fossil of Ajkaceratops from Hungary!
Check out our new study, led by @tweetisaurus.bsky.social ⤵️
January 7, 2026 at 4:32 PM
A shake-up of the dinosaur family tree! Rhabdodontids are not ornithopods. They are ceratopsians.
There were horned dinosaurs in Europe! As shown by a new fossil of Ajkaceratops from Hungary!
Check out our new study, led by @tweetisaurus.bsky.social ⤵️
There were horned dinosaurs in Europe! As shown by a new fossil of Ajkaceratops from Hungary!
Check out our new study, led by @tweetisaurus.bsky.social ⤵️
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Out in @nature.com today, we shake up the ornithischian family tree. Remember those weird Late Cretaceous iguanodontians, the rhabdodontids? Well they're weird because they aren't iguanodontians. They're ceratopsians. Well, at least some of them are... www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe - Nature
New results indicate that rhabdodontids and the previously described Ajkaceratops are actually distinctive European ceratopsians, a group better known from Asia and North America.
www.nature.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Out in @nature.com today, we shake up the ornithischian family tree. Remember those weird Late Cretaceous iguanodontians, the rhabdodontids? Well they're weird because they aren't iguanodontians. They're ceratopsians. Well, at least some of them are... www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Guess the Gem Tuesday!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: the mineral’s crystals are barrel shaped. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
January 6, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Guess the Gem Tuesday!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: the mineral’s crystals are barrel shaped. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
This report in Nature on the costs of competing for & administering scientific grants is shocking: "In other words, European taxpayers will have spent more on the funding process than on the funding itself, and the scientific ecosystem has been drained." www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪
Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding
With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.
www.nature.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:46 PM
This report in Nature on the costs of competing for & administering scientific grants is shocking: "In other words, European taxpayers will have spent more on the funding process than on the funding itself, and the scientific ecosystem has been drained." www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Happy New Year from your friends at WitmerLab! 🎉
As hope for 2026, here's the beautiful skeleton of a mōlī (Laysan albatross). May it bring us all the wisdom of Wisdom, the 75-yo mōlī—the oldest known wild bird who still returns to Midway Atoll annually to nest & breed! 1/3
As hope for 2026, here's the beautiful skeleton of a mōlī (Laysan albatross). May it bring us all the wisdom of Wisdom, the 75-yo mōlī—the oldest known wild bird who still returns to Midway Atoll annually to nest & breed! 1/3
January 1, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Happy New Year from your friends at WitmerLab! 🎉
As hope for 2026, here's the beautiful skeleton of a mōlī (Laysan albatross). May it bring us all the wisdom of Wisdom, the 75-yo mōlī—the oldest known wild bird who still returns to Midway Atoll annually to nest & breed! 1/3
As hope for 2026, here's the beautiful skeleton of a mōlī (Laysan albatross). May it bring us all the wisdom of Wisdom, the 75-yo mōlī—the oldest known wild bird who still returns to Midway Atoll annually to nest & breed! 1/3
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
And do you know one way that Nature could incentivize people to peer review?
Invest some of theit profits (€512m) into actually paying for the labour of peer review.
Though of course it's cheaper to just tell reviewers "just use AI".
group.springernature.com/gp/group/med...
Invest some of theit profits (€512m) into actually paying for the labour of peer review.
Though of course it's cheaper to just tell reviewers "just use AI".
group.springernature.com/gp/group/med...
Springer Nature achieves revenue and profit targets and projects further growth for 2025 | Springer Nature Group | Springer Nature
Revenue grew by 5% on an underlying1 basis to €1,847 million and adjusted operating profit rose by 7% on an underlying1 basis to €512 millionResearch
group.springernature.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
And do you know one way that Nature could incentivize people to peer review?
Invest some of theit profits (€512m) into actually paying for the labour of peer review.
Though of course it's cheaper to just tell reviewers "just use AI".
group.springernature.com/gp/group/med...
Invest some of theit profits (€512m) into actually paying for the labour of peer review.
Though of course it's cheaper to just tell reviewers "just use AI".
group.springernature.com/gp/group/med...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
This is a terrible idea, and will be the downfall of quality control - if we believe that's what peer review enables.
Furthermore, academic literature shows that we decrease learning when we over rely on AI tools - and as a reviewer, one thing that I do benefit from is actually having to think…
Furthermore, academic literature shows that we decrease learning when we over rely on AI tools - and as a reviewer, one thing that I do benefit from is actually having to think…
New @nature.com, ever feel like it takes way too long for you to peer-review a manuscript? AI, plus some voice-control tools, may be able to help. By Dritjon Gruda 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Three AI-powered steps to faster, smarter peer review
Tired of spending countless hours on peer reviews? An AI-assisted workflow could help.
www.nature.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:11 PM
This is a terrible idea, and will be the downfall of quality control - if we believe that's what peer review enables.
Furthermore, academic literature shows that we decrease learning when we over rely on AI tools - and as a reviewer, one thing that I do benefit from is actually having to think…
Furthermore, academic literature shows that we decrease learning when we over rely on AI tools - and as a reviewer, one thing that I do benefit from is actually having to think…
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
🦀 🦞 🦐 Research alert‼️A special issue about arthropod paleontology was recently published in the Journal of Paleontology, honoring the late Dr. Rodney Feldmann. Specimens from the UA Museums' paleontology collection were also used. Read the short news story here: tinyurl.com/bdwp3v2j #FossilFriday
December 26, 2025 at 1:34 PM
🦀 🦞 🦐 Research alert‼️A special issue about arthropod paleontology was recently published in the Journal of Paleontology, honoring the late Dr. Rodney Feldmann. Specimens from the UA Museums' paleontology collection were also used. Read the short news story here: tinyurl.com/bdwp3v2j #FossilFriday
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Green epidote from an old teaching collection. It was fun to see minerals that trained geologists in the past. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
December 22, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Green epidote from an old teaching collection. It was fun to see minerals that trained geologists in the past. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Love this short opinion piece on “mechanical bypass” in analogy to “spiritual bypass”.
The “machinal bypass” and how we’re using AI to avoid ourselves | PNAS
The “machinal bypass” and how we’re using AI to avoid ourselves
www.pnas.org
December 21, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Love this short opinion piece on “mechanical bypass” in analogy to “spiritual bypass”.
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
So reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) can't fly, but they are VERY MAGICAL.
For example, their EYES CHANGE COLOR during the year & they're one of the few large mammals that can see UV. Golden brown in summer, deep blue in winter.
Let's talk about the unique visual adaptations of Rudolph and company.
For example, their EYES CHANGE COLOR during the year & they're one of the few large mammals that can see UV. Golden brown in summer, deep blue in winter.
Let's talk about the unique visual adaptations of Rudolph and company.
December 20, 2025 at 11:36 PM
So reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) can't fly, but they are VERY MAGICAL.
For example, their EYES CHANGE COLOR during the year & they're one of the few large mammals that can see UV. Golden brown in summer, deep blue in winter.
Let's talk about the unique visual adaptations of Rudolph and company.
For example, their EYES CHANGE COLOR during the year & they're one of the few large mammals that can see UV. Golden brown in summer, deep blue in winter.
Let's talk about the unique visual adaptations of Rudolph and company.
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
New paper out! 🧪
On reconstructing dinosaur cognition through contemporary cognitive science - a primer on the function of neurons and cognition, the role of extant animals, thermobiology, tools, arms races, foraging, and model-based cognition.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
On reconstructing dinosaur cognition through contemporary cognitive science - a primer on the function of neurons and cognition, the role of extant animals, thermobiology, tools, arms races, foraging, and model-based cognition.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
December 19, 2025 at 8:24 PM
New paper out! 🧪
On reconstructing dinosaur cognition through contemporary cognitive science - a primer on the function of neurons and cognition, the role of extant animals, thermobiology, tools, arms races, foraging, and model-based cognition.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
On reconstructing dinosaur cognition through contemporary cognitive science - a primer on the function of neurons and cognition, the role of extant animals, thermobiology, tools, arms races, foraging, and model-based cognition.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...