Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
@cambriancam.bsky.social
I am a science communicator and self-taught paleontologist/geologist located in Georgia. Future Invertebrate Paleontologist. I collect and study fossils from the Appalachian Basin.
Paleo Nerd 🦖🪨 ⚒️
Paleo Nerd 🦖🪨 ⚒️
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Histology and fossil diagenesis of a pterosaur tooth from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous of Brazil) - Aureliano - The Anatomical Record - Wiley Online Library anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Histology and fossil diagenesis of a pterosaur tooth from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous of Brazil)
Pterosaur dental biology remains poorly understood despite its importance for comprehending feeding strategies and flight adaptations. Here, we present the first comprehensive histological analysis o...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Histology and fossil diagenesis of a pterosaur tooth from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous of Brazil) - Aureliano - The Anatomical Record - Wiley Online Library anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Mainstream palaeoart often seems lily-white in terms of the diversity of its contributors. But pieces of palaeoart that rank among the -MOST SEEN- works in the entire field were examples of black craftsmanship. This week came news on the passing of Garfield G. Minott (1966-2025)... cont
November 15, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Mainstream palaeoart often seems lily-white in terms of the diversity of its contributors. But pieces of palaeoart that rank among the -MOST SEEN- works in the entire field were examples of black craftsmanship. This week came news on the passing of Garfield G. Minott (1966-2025)... cont
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Earliest oceanic tetrapod ecosystem reveals rapid complexification of Triassic marine communities | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Earliest oceanic tetrapod ecosystem reveals rapid complexification of Triassic marine communities
Tetrapods invaded oceanic environments after the cataclysmic end-Permian mass extinction (EPME), with temnospondyl amphibian to reptile-dominated assemblages succeeding across the Early Triassic [~251...
www.science.org
November 15, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Earliest oceanic tetrapod ecosystem reveals rapid complexification of Triassic marine communities | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
A pliosaur vertebra from the Etches Collection sporting a notochordal boss, an embryonic remnant. These are common in ankylosaur verts but not uncommon in #IsleofWight posterior dorsal and early caudal iguanodontian centra. Rarely reported elsewhere it seems. #FossilFriday
November 14, 2025 at 9:28 PM
A pliosaur vertebra from the Etches Collection sporting a notochordal boss, an embryonic remnant. These are common in ankylosaur verts but not uncommon in #IsleofWight posterior dorsal and early caudal iguanodontian centra. Rarely reported elsewhere it seems. #FossilFriday
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
A first for me and @geologyjohnson.bsky.social to see trilobites in the wild. Look at the beautiful preservation 😍
Rocks likely heterolithic limestone with black shake and chert interbeds from late Devonian-early Carboniferous from southern Belgium.
#FossilFriday
Rocks likely heterolithic limestone with black shake and chert interbeds from late Devonian-early Carboniferous from southern Belgium.
#FossilFriday
November 14, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Visiting Boscobel Quarry today. ⚒️
November 14, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Visiting Boscobel Quarry today. ⚒️
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
As I travel through my time, I feel really lucky to be a paleontologist
November 14, 2025 at 8:26 PM
As I travel through my time, I feel really lucky to be a paleontologist
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Geopetal gastropods from Mississippian Reynolds limestone. #FossilFriday
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November 14, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Geopetal gastropods from Mississippian Reynolds limestone. #FossilFriday
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Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
This is a late Cretaceous echinoid, Hardournia mortonis, from the Peedee Fm. near Holden Beach, NC. The mouth structure is preserved with 5 beak-like teeth called Aristotle's lantern.
#FossilFriday
#FossilFriday
November 14, 2025 at 4:43 PM
This is a late Cretaceous echinoid, Hardournia mortonis, from the Peedee Fm. near Holden Beach, NC. The mouth structure is preserved with 5 beak-like teeth called Aristotle's lantern.
#FossilFriday
#FossilFriday
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
#Fractofusus is the most common organism at many of the #Ediacaran fossil sites in #Newfoundland, and it's also one of the best preserved. Here we can see the complex branching they possessed, preserved in exquisite detail.
#FossilFriday #FractofususFriday
#FossilFriday #FractofususFriday
November 14, 2025 at 6:27 PM
#Fractofusus is the most common organism at many of the #Ediacaran fossil sites in #Newfoundland, and it's also one of the best preserved. Here we can see the complex branching they possessed, preserved in exquisite detail.
#FossilFriday #FractofususFriday
#FossilFriday #FractofususFriday
We are 2 for 2 with echinoderms for #fossilfriday!
Here is an absolutely beautiful regular sea urchin known as Desoricidaris pouyannei. This specimen comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Cenomanian) rocks of Taouz, Morocco. The preservation of the test (body) is absolutely stunning even after 100 mya!
Here is an absolutely beautiful regular sea urchin known as Desoricidaris pouyannei. This specimen comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Cenomanian) rocks of Taouz, Morocco. The preservation of the test (body) is absolutely stunning even after 100 mya!
November 14, 2025 at 4:24 PM
We are 2 for 2 with echinoderms for #fossilfriday!
Here is an absolutely beautiful regular sea urchin known as Desoricidaris pouyannei. This specimen comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Cenomanian) rocks of Taouz, Morocco. The preservation of the test (body) is absolutely stunning even after 100 mya!
Here is an absolutely beautiful regular sea urchin known as Desoricidaris pouyannei. This specimen comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Cenomanian) rocks of Taouz, Morocco. The preservation of the test (body) is absolutely stunning even after 100 mya!
Missing all of my friends who are at SVP 💜 😢
November 14, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Missing all of my friends who are at SVP 💜 😢
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Gigantoproductus are a major part of the "cockle rock" from Teesdale back home. It's a carboniferous limestone used as a decorative stone.
Gigantic brachiopods may have been (partly) photosymbiotic and are untapped archives of climate change in deep geological time:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Brachiopod giants from the Mississippian (Asbian) of western Ireland: Fossil bioarchives of seasonality and symbiosis and far-field harbingers of climate change
Brachiopod species of Gigantoproductus have long fascinated researchers, not only because of their exceptional size and thick shell, but also as unpar…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Gigantoproductus are a major part of the "cockle rock" from Teesdale back home. It's a carboniferous limestone used as a decorative stone.
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Billion year old shallow water stromatolitic carbonates contact metamorphosed. Green layers with diopside and occasional grossular garnet. Sedimentary layers are preserved, including ripples! Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas.
November 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Billion year old shallow water stromatolitic carbonates contact metamorphosed. Green layers with diopside and occasional grossular garnet. Sedimentary layers are preserved, including ripples! Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas.
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Morphology of the forelimb of Confuciusornis and its implications for early flight evolution url: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Morphology of the forelimb of Confuciusornis and its implications for early flight evolution
Abstract. The morphological transformation of a highly mobile, grasping forelimb into a flapping wing is a key transition in the evolution of bird flight.
academic.oup.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Morphology of the forelimb of Confuciusornis and its implications for early flight evolution url: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Come see me today at B199
November 13, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Come see me today at B199
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Wang, W., Shang, Q., Wang, J. et al. Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles. Commun Biol 8, 1551 (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s420...
Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles - Communications Biology
A newly discovered Triassic fossil marine reptile, Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis, reveals that an exceptionally long neck developing more than 40 cervical vertebrae evolved in nothosaurs before the ri...
doi.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Wang, W., Shang, Q., Wang, J. et al. Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles. Commun Biol 8, 1551 (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s420...
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Interesting work on the early evolution of animals. The new study places sponges back as the sister group to animals.
November 13, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Interesting work on the early evolution of animals. The new study places sponges back as the sister group to animals.
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Video recording of a talk I gave last week to NOVA's Honors program -
"Building the Appalachian Mountains in Ten Easy Steps"
(𝘈 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦)
youtu.be/rTrlePR_bsw
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"Building the Appalachian Mountains in Ten Easy Steps"
(𝘈 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦)
youtu.be/rTrlePR_bsw
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"Building the Appalachian Mountains in Ten Easy Steps"
YouTube video by Callan Bentley
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Video recording of a talk I gave last week to NOVA's Honors program -
"Building the Appalachian Mountains in Ten Easy Steps"
(𝘈 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦)
youtu.be/rTrlePR_bsw
⚒️
"Building the Appalachian Mountains in Ten Easy Steps"
(𝘈 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦)
youtu.be/rTrlePR_bsw
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Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Yay for brachiopods and friends!
Lophophorata is monophyletic!
Super excited to see this work out in Current Biology - we sequenced a phoronid genome and used shared chromosome fusions to confirm the monophyly of Lophophorata.
A big team effort from the Luo Lab @yjluo.bsky.social!
More here: authors.elsevier.com/c/1m3mV3QW8S...
Super excited to see this work out in Current Biology - we sequenced a phoronid genome and used shared chromosome fusions to confirm the monophyly of Lophophorata.
A big team effort from the Luo Lab @yjluo.bsky.social!
More here: authors.elsevier.com/c/1m3mV3QW8S...
November 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Yay for brachiopods and friends!
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Casual reminder that the myth of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a cruel hoax designed to convince poor people from all walks of life that the injustices they face are a result of their own actions, rather than an oppressive system rigged against them.
November 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Casual reminder that the myth of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a cruel hoax designed to convince poor people from all walks of life that the injustices they face are a result of their own actions, rather than an oppressive system rigged against them.
Reposted by Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️)
Tonight was a very bad night.
November 10, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Tonight was a very bad night.