Tomos Potter
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tomospotter.bsky.social
Tomos Potter
@tomospotter.bsky.social
Evolutionary ecologist in the Kokko lab, JGU Mainz. Recovering guppy-botherer, interested in eco-evolutionary processes that generate and maintain diversity. Models, stats, long-term studies.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 in 🇩🇪

Also likes: food, landscapes, guitars
Reposted by Tomos Potter
Roses are red
Anyone for tennis?
Cannibalistic jellyfish with a vanishing anus are invading Venice | LBC
Venice is being invaded by cannibalistic jellyfish from the Atlantic that are threatening the delicate balance of the lagoon's ecosystem.
www.lbc.co.uk
February 4, 2026 at 1:01 PM
In 2010, my mum came up with an idea to re-establish the ancient 140-mile North Wales Pilgrim’s Way. Now National Geographic lists it as one of the world’s “best wellness destinations” for 2026! Mum died last year, I miss her loads. It’s so lovely to see her idea continue to grow. Very proud.
Best of the World 2026: Best wellness destinations
Seaweed bathing in Ireland, a trek through Africa’s first designated wilderness quiet park—we asked National Geographic staff and contributors for their favorite places to escape the stress and noise ...
www.nationalgeographic.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Random effects structured by (inverse) relatedness matrix is great, but ideally would want capability to model multiple response variables i.e. trait and fitness (which I *think* goes further than recent developments?). @bbolker.bsky.social, any plans to extend glmmTMB into the realm of Quant Gen?
Have any #QuantGen folk tried fitting an animal model with the new covariance structure in glmmTMB? Intrigued at the prospect of fitting big models in seconds/minutes rather than days/weeks...
Fast phylogenetic generalised linear mixed-effects modelling using the glmmTMB R package https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.20.695312v1
January 28, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
Hello! Does anyone know of any 'seed' type grants/awards within Australia (or potentially abroad if they fund research internationally) that contribute toward research only costs (not salary)??
January 27, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
The greatest addition to my CV so far: I am now officially part of The Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists

improbable.com/2026/01/14/s...
Shikhara Bhat joins the The Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists™ (LFHCfS)
Shikhara Bhat has joined the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists™ (LFHCfS). He says: I’m Shikhara Bhat, a theoretical evolutionary ecologist. I’m currently a PhD student at the Univer…
improbable.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:27 AM
As the youngest of my siblings, I’m glad I’m not a Hoopoe
Alright, you have my attention, AVIAN SIBLING CANNIBALISM.

“Finally, females allocated fewer resources to the smallest nestlings when they were going to starve, but not necessarily when they were going to be used as food for their siblings.” Soler et al. 2022.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
January 16, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
We are hiring at the Wytham Woods for the upcoming field season. 4 roles available. Please share with anyone who might be interested. #UKbirds #birdringing
January 16, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
Postdoc in statistical ecology & evolution! Develop models bridging evolutionary theory with empirical data on sex differences in immunity and life history. Apply now!
#postdoc #statistics #evolution #academicjobs #ecology jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...
Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical Ecology and Evolution
Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical Ecology and Evolution
jobs.helsinki.fi
January 14, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Top advice from Viz’s letter section, as ever.
January 14, 2026 at 10:29 PM
My Grandmother Loved Horses And Was A Terrible Photographer

A short 🧵
January 1, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
📣Please share: We are looking for a field assistant to join our team in studying #ruffs on coastal meadows at Botnian Bay in Finland. The job will provide fantastic insights into lekking behaviour and provide essential skills in field ornithology. Details here www.bi.mpg.de/2790786/2512...
December 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Have any #QuantGen folk tried fitting an animal model with the new covariance structure in glmmTMB? Intrigued at the prospect of fitting big models in seconds/minutes rather than days/weeks...
Fast phylogenetic generalised linear mixed-effects modelling using the glmmTMB R package https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.20.695312v1
December 29, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
it's Christmas Eve but it's also the 16 year anniversary of the time an art historian for the Hungarian National Gallery spotted a long lost painting while watching Stuart Little with his 3-year-old daughter, recognizing it in the movie set
December 24, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
December 17, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
Thrilled to announce a Postdoc opportunity in our group on the evolutionary genetics and ecology of colour. Wonderful system, great collaborators, and room to shape your own ideas.
Apply by 7 Jan: jobs.helsinki.fi/job/13477181...
December 12, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A 🧵 of future eco-evo research plans, based purely on their potential for pun titles.

Please feel free to contribute to this important list - ideally by doing the research and including me as a co-author.

#WriteTheJokeFirstDoTheScienceLater
#MyExperimentalDesignIsAJoke
November 26, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
i will be giving a talk on some recently published work on the 4th of December. Come by (zoom link below) if you want to think and learn about the evolution of mutual dependence and synchronised reproduction in endosymbioses!
Our Guest: Gaurav S. Athreya.
Title: The Evolution of Dependence and Cohesion in Incipient Endosymbioses.
When: 🌟Thursday, 4th December, at 3 PM (Stockholm time zone).
Zoom link: umu.zoom.us/j/68775661118
Webinar schedule: endosymbiosiswebinar.github.io
#Endosymbiosis
November 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
#OnThisDay in 1859, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was first published.

Much of the original manuscript was used as scrap paper by Darwin's children. On the back of this painting of a house is an original manuscript page from Origin!

#CambridgeUniversityLibrary (DAR 185)
November 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Get in!
I know I'm spamming you all with the world's largest flower this week but look at THIS! A rare glimpse inside Rafflesia arnoldi!
November 20, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Pedigree = Crane’s foot 🤯
The origin of 'pedigree'. This type of C12 figure (not a family tree but a way of calculating relatedness – the titles of various relatives have not been put in the circles) looked like a crane's foot, thought medieval folk. So 'pied de grue' and hence 'pedigree'. Source in alt.
November 18, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
Looking for an internship in spring?

Do you like fish, lakes, cycling & cheese?

Our lab in Kastanienbaum might be the place for you!

Apply, it’s great!

apply.refline.ch/673277/1301/...
November 13, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
A glitch in the matrix? No! I have another PhD available on temperature and AMR, this time with @swbiodtp.bsky.social. Join a friendly group (padpadpadpad.netlify.app/about) in Cornwall to do evolutionary ecology, experimental evolution, and combine phenotyping and sequencing. 🧪🦠 #microsky
November 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Tomos Potter
A young PI here in Mainz has a fabulous PhD position that will be filled soon! By you? Keywords: Social insects, ageing, gene expression. www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evoluti...
Behavioural Ecology and Social Evolution
www.blogs.uni-mainz.de
October 29, 2025 at 8:36 AM
“auspicious set seed values” @popgengoogling.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Do you like quantitative genetics, stats, experiments, and long-term studies? Check out this post doc opportunity with the wonderful Anja Felmy!
Exiting career-boosting opportunity for a a skilled and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher: We're hiring a Post-doctoral fellow in Evolutionary Biology!

Please apply no later than 31 October!
lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
October 22, 2025 at 4:16 PM