James Ashway
@jamesashway.bsky.social
Science news @nhm-london.bsky.social ✍️ | CT editor for @dwasonline.bsky.social 📝 | All views my own
Lots of other things on the go as well, and even got to hold some Antarctic ice on an excursion to the British Antarctic Survey!
October 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Lots of other things on the go as well, and even got to hold some Antarctic ice on an excursion to the British Antarctic Survey!
It's hoped that discoveries like Spicomellus, and the associated publicity, can help to build up a new generation of Moroccan palaeontologists.
It's hoped this will create new scientific, economic and tourism opportunities for the north African nation. (3/4)
It's hoped this will create new scientific, economic and tourism opportunities for the north African nation. (3/4)
August 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
It's hoped that discoveries like Spicomellus, and the associated publicity, can help to build up a new generation of Moroccan palaeontologists.
It's hoped this will create new scientific, economic and tourism opportunities for the north African nation. (3/4)
It's hoped this will create new scientific, economic and tourism opportunities for the north African nation. (3/4)
It's a journey that wouldn't have been possible without help of many people in Morocco, not least Professor Driss Ouarhache.
His knowledge of the region's geology helped to track down the bones to the mudstone slopes of the Middle Atlas, revealing a dinosaur hotspot in the process. (2/4)
His knowledge of the region's geology helped to track down the bones to the mudstone slopes of the Middle Atlas, revealing a dinosaur hotspot in the process. (2/4)
August 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
It's a journey that wouldn't have been possible without help of many people in Morocco, not least Professor Driss Ouarhache.
His knowledge of the region's geology helped to track down the bones to the mudstone slopes of the Middle Atlas, revealing a dinosaur hotspot in the process. (2/4)
His knowledge of the region's geology helped to track down the bones to the mudstone slopes of the Middle Atlas, revealing a dinosaur hotspot in the process. (2/4)
Want to find out how everyone's new favourite dinosaur #Spicomellus went from fossil to famous?
My new article focuses on how @tweetisaurus.bsky.social tracked its bones down from a fossil dealer in Cambridge to Morocco's Middle Atlas mountains... 🧵(1/4)
My new article focuses on how @tweetisaurus.bsky.social tracked its bones down from a fossil dealer in Cambridge to Morocco's Middle Atlas mountains... 🧵(1/4)
August 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Want to find out how everyone's new favourite dinosaur #Spicomellus went from fossil to famous?
My new article focuses on how @tweetisaurus.bsky.social tracked its bones down from a fossil dealer in Cambridge to Morocco's Middle Atlas mountains... 🧵(1/4)
My new article focuses on how @tweetisaurus.bsky.social tracked its bones down from a fossil dealer in Cambridge to Morocco's Middle Atlas mountains... 🧵(1/4)
We then rejoined the dig in time to help tidy up the site and take the fossils to the USMBA in Fes.
Over the next couple of years, Susie, @richardjbutler.bsky.social, Driss and the rest of the team had their work cut out figuring out what exactly Spicomellus looked like, but they managed it!
Over the next couple of years, Susie, @richardjbutler.bsky.social, Driss and the rest of the team had their work cut out figuring out what exactly Spicomellus looked like, but they managed it!
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
We then rejoined the dig in time to help tidy up the site and take the fossils to the USMBA in Fes.
Over the next couple of years, Susie, @richardjbutler.bsky.social, Driss and the rest of the team had their work cut out figuring out what exactly Spicomellus looked like, but they managed it!
Over the next couple of years, Susie, @richardjbutler.bsky.social, Driss and the rest of the team had their work cut out figuring out what exactly Spicomellus looked like, but they managed it!
We went off to see first-hand how Morocco is changing as temperatures rise.
While the UK might be suffering from droughts at the moment, it's nothing compared to the dried-up lakes and forests under pressure we saw on the trip.
It wasn't all bad though - the macaques helped keep things light!
While the UK might be suffering from droughts at the moment, it's nothing compared to the dried-up lakes and forests under pressure we saw on the trip.
It wasn't all bad though - the macaques helped keep things light!
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
We went off to see first-hand how Morocco is changing as temperatures rise.
While the UK might be suffering from droughts at the moment, it's nothing compared to the dried-up lakes and forests under pressure we saw on the trip.
It wasn't all bad though - the macaques helped keep things light!
While the UK might be suffering from droughts at the moment, it's nothing compared to the dried-up lakes and forests under pressure we saw on the trip.
It wasn't all bad though - the macaques helped keep things light!
It was already obvious that the fossils coming out of the ground were really unusual - blade-like spikes, spiked armour and a bizarre structure that turned out to be Spicomellus's collar!
As the scientists continued to dig, the content team went off on a side quest...
As the scientists continued to dig, the content team went off on a side quest...
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
It was already obvious that the fossils coming out of the ground were really unusual - blade-like spikes, spiked armour and a bizarre structure that turned out to be Spicomellus's collar!
As the scientists continued to dig, the content team went off on a side quest...
As the scientists continued to dig, the content team went off on a side quest...
The team made short work of the mountainside, digging down to where the first Spicomellus fossils had been found.
While I was mainly interviewing and writing, I got the opportunity to get my hands dirty with a bit of shovelling and, later, plastering of fossils!
While I was mainly interviewing and writing, I got the opportunity to get my hands dirty with a bit of shovelling and, later, plastering of fossils!
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
The team made short work of the mountainside, digging down to where the first Spicomellus fossils had been found.
While I was mainly interviewing and writing, I got the opportunity to get my hands dirty with a bit of shovelling and, later, plastering of fossils!
While I was mainly interviewing and writing, I got the opportunity to get my hands dirty with a bit of shovelling and, later, plastering of fossils!
We may have already been high above sea level when we arrived at the site, near the Moroccan town of Boulemane, but there was still a fair walk ahead of us.
While the scientists carried their excavation equipment, we lugged cameras and tripods so that we could document the dig!
While the scientists carried their excavation equipment, we lugged cameras and tripods so that we could document the dig!
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
We may have already been high above sea level when we arrived at the site, near the Moroccan town of Boulemane, but there was still a fair walk ahead of us.
While the scientists carried their excavation equipment, we lugged cameras and tripods so that we could document the dig!
While the scientists carried their excavation equipment, we lugged cameras and tripods so that we could document the dig!
It's finally here!
Meet Spicomellus - one of the world's strangest dinosaurs! After being named in 2021, many questions remained about what this ankylosaur looked like.
So, in 2023, I was part of an NHM content contingent who followed @tweetisaurus.bsky.social up into the Atlas Mountains...
Meet Spicomellus - one of the world's strangest dinosaurs! After being named in 2021, many questions remained about what this ankylosaur looked like.
So, in 2023, I was part of an NHM content contingent who followed @tweetisaurus.bsky.social up into the Atlas Mountains...
August 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
It's finally here!
Meet Spicomellus - one of the world's strangest dinosaurs! After being named in 2021, many questions remained about what this ankylosaur looked like.
So, in 2023, I was part of an NHM content contingent who followed @tweetisaurus.bsky.social up into the Atlas Mountains...
Meet Spicomellus - one of the world's strangest dinosaurs! After being named in 2021, many questions remained about what this ankylosaur looked like.
So, in 2023, I was part of an NHM content contingent who followed @tweetisaurus.bsky.social up into the Atlas Mountains...