John J. Jacisin III
@jjjacisin3.bsky.social
Assistant Professor. Paleoherpetology, Conservation Paleobiology, and Geometric Morphometrics.
Pinned
I have some good news: I have accepted a tenure -track position at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as their first paleontologist! I would love to connect with scientists, and especially paleontology/herpetology/wildlife folks in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
I'm delighted to share the latest publication involving my lab - out now in PNAS:
Geochemists & Paleontologists across the globe joined forces to confirm the preservation of molecular #biosignatures in #fossil organic matter - and explore signals associated with photosynthesis.
Geochemists & Paleontologists across the globe joined forces to confirm the preservation of molecular #biosignatures in #fossil organic matter - and explore signals associated with photosynthesis.
November 17, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I'm delighted to share the latest publication involving my lab - out now in PNAS:
Geochemists & Paleontologists across the globe joined forces to confirm the preservation of molecular #biosignatures in #fossil organic matter - and explore signals associated with photosynthesis.
Geochemists & Paleontologists across the globe joined forces to confirm the preservation of molecular #biosignatures in #fossil organic matter - and explore signals associated with photosynthesis.
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
A’ho! 🪶🙌🏽🇺🇸
November 16, 2025 at 4:06 AM
A’ho! 🪶🙌🏽🇺🇸
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
It's #GarWeek! Celebrate these living fossils by learning all about what makes this freshwater species known as "trash fish" so special in our latest conversation with @solomonrdavid.bsky.social.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw84...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw84...
Why Gars Deserve a Week of Their Own | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
www.youtube.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:08 PM
It's #GarWeek! Celebrate these living fossils by learning all about what makes this freshwater species known as "trash fish" so special in our latest conversation with @solomonrdavid.bsky.social.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw84...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw84...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
What do we know about the last surviving dinosaurs, living right before the asteroid? And is Nanotyrannus a tiny tyrannosaur species or juvenile T. rex?
Lindsay Zanno & I talk through the big questions with Ira Flatow on today's @scifri.bsky.social !
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/din...
Lindsay Zanno & I talk through the big questions with Ira Flatow on today's @scifri.bsky.social !
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/din...
Were Dinos On Their Way Out Before The Asteroid Hit? Maybe Not
Two new studies suggest that, contrary to longstanding beliefs, dinosaurs were not on the decline before the Chicxulub asteroid impact.
www.sciencefriday.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:38 PM
What do we know about the last surviving dinosaurs, living right before the asteroid? And is Nanotyrannus a tiny tyrannosaur species or juvenile T. rex?
Lindsay Zanno & I talk through the big questions with Ira Flatow on today's @scifri.bsky.social !
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/din...
Lindsay Zanno & I talk through the big questions with Ira Flatow on today's @scifri.bsky.social !
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/din...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Our collaborative genome project is now published!
I am so proud & happy to see our Potamo genome assembly finally out there in the world! The process ended up being way more challenging than expected, but for some really cool reasons. ❤️🐌🧬
TLDR: Surprise! A VERY recent WGD.
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
Photo: C. Böck, ILIM, Mondsee, Austria)
TLDR: Surprise! A VERY recent WGD.
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
Photo: C. Böck, ILIM, Mondsee, Austria)
November 5, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Our collaborative genome project is now published!
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
The #FindThatLizard Scholarship is accepting applications until 12/10.
We fund girls, women, and gender non conforming persons pursuing herpetology🦎🐍🐸🐢
I can’t wait to read your application! earynmcgee.com/findthatliza...
We fund girls, women, and gender non conforming persons pursuing herpetology🦎🐍🐸🐢
I can’t wait to read your application! earynmcgee.com/findthatliza...
November 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The #FindThatLizard Scholarship is accepting applications until 12/10.
We fund girls, women, and gender non conforming persons pursuing herpetology🦎🐍🐸🐢
I can’t wait to read your application! earynmcgee.com/findthatliza...
We fund girls, women, and gender non conforming persons pursuing herpetology🦎🐍🐸🐢
I can’t wait to read your application! earynmcgee.com/findthatliza...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Interested in fossils? Brains? Reptiles?
Want to study how reptile (particularly squamate) brains and senses changed over time?
Want to be part of an international team studying the evolution of cognition?
Then apply for our Univ of Edinburgh PhD project!
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
Want to study how reptile (particularly squamate) brains and senses changed over time?
Want to be part of an international team studying the evolution of cognition?
Then apply for our Univ of Edinburgh PhD project!
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
Project | E5 Doctoral Training Partnership | E5 Doctoral Training Partnership
The project advertisement
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk
October 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Interested in fossils? Brains? Reptiles?
Want to study how reptile (particularly squamate) brains and senses changed over time?
Want to be part of an international team studying the evolution of cognition?
Then apply for our Univ of Edinburgh PhD project!
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
Want to study how reptile (particularly squamate) brains and senses changed over time?
Want to be part of an international team studying the evolution of cognition?
Then apply for our Univ of Edinburgh PhD project!
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Shaken to hear Mark Norell passed—good friend, trusted colleague, giant in our field. Coincidentally, I got the news as I was working on my talk for the Intl. Symp. on Asian Dinosaurs in Fukui later this month. Here's my slide on Mark’s impact on Asian dinosaur science. It hurt to add 1957–2025. 😥
September 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Shaken to hear Mark Norell passed—good friend, trusted colleague, giant in our field. Coincidentally, I got the news as I was working on my talk for the Intl. Symp. on Asian Dinosaurs in Fukui later this month. Here's my slide on Mark’s impact on Asian dinosaur science. It hurt to add 1957–2025. 😥
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
I just heard the news that vertebrate paleontologist Mark Norell passed away. When I was a kid, I eagerly followed the latest discoveries by him & his team. Although I did not know Mark well, he was always helpful during my research visits to the AMNH. His biggest kindness, though, was early on. 1/2
September 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I just heard the news that vertebrate paleontologist Mark Norell passed away. When I was a kid, I eagerly followed the latest discoveries by him & his team. Although I did not know Mark well, he was always helpful during my research visits to the AMNH. His biggest kindness, though, was early on. 1/2
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
We lost Mark Norell today. Dinosaur hunter extraordinaire. The coolest dude alive. My PhD supervisor.
Wherever you are, raise a glass of your favorite lager or single malt, as it is what Mark would want.
Wherever you are, raise a glass of your favorite lager or single malt, as it is what Mark would want.
September 9, 2025 at 4:36 PM
We lost Mark Norell today. Dinosaur hunter extraordinaire. The coolest dude alive. My PhD supervisor.
Wherever you are, raise a glass of your favorite lager or single malt, as it is what Mark would want.
Wherever you are, raise a glass of your favorite lager or single malt, as it is what Mark would want.
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
incredible new national geological map for the U.S. just got released, mobile functional too, meaning you can get incredibly detailed geological information on the go, pretty fuckin' rad
www.usgs.gov/news/nationa...
www.usgs.gov/news/nationa...
USGS Unveils New National Geologic Map
In a significant advancement for geoscience, the U.S. Geological Survey has released the most detailed national-scale geologic map of the country to date, offering a unique regional view of geology at...
www.usgs.gov
August 29, 2025 at 4:36 PM
incredible new national geological map for the U.S. just got released, mobile functional too, meaning you can get incredibly detailed geological information on the go, pretty fuckin' rad
www.usgs.gov/news/nationa...
www.usgs.gov/news/nationa...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
I'm beyond excited to announce that I will be joining the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma as an Assistant Professor in January 2026!
Belasen Lab @ou.edu coming soon 🐸 ❤️
Belasen Lab @ou.edu coming soon 🐸 ❤️
June 3, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I'm beyond excited to announce that I will be joining the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma as an Assistant Professor in January 2026!
Belasen Lab @ou.edu coming soon 🐸 ❤️
Belasen Lab @ou.edu coming soon 🐸 ❤️
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Instead of restoring American greatness, MAGA is destroying it.
Science funding slashed in half. Earth science (my discipline) by 80%! Biology studies halted because some politician thinks 'biodiversity' is woke.
Get used to slower economic growth, less innovation
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Science funding slashed in half. Earth science (my discipline) by 80%! Biology studies halted because some politician thinks 'biodiversity' is woke.
Get used to slower economic growth, less innovation
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades
The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.
www.nytimes.com
May 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Instead of restoring American greatness, MAGA is destroying it.
Science funding slashed in half. Earth science (my discipline) by 80%! Biology studies halted because some politician thinks 'biodiversity' is woke.
Get used to slower economic growth, less innovation
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Science funding slashed in half. Earth science (my discipline) by 80%! Biology studies halted because some politician thinks 'biodiversity' is woke.
Get used to slower economic growth, less innovation
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Hey @bsky.app can you please allow universities to verify their faculty? That would go a long way to promoting trust. I hope your list of verified people is not just sports stars and pop idols.
bsky.social/about/blog/0...
bsky.social/about/blog/0...
A New Form of Verification on Bluesky - Bluesky
We’re introducing a new layer of verification — a user-friendly, easily recognizable blue check. Additionally, independent organizations can verify accounts directly through our Trusted Verifiers feat...
bsky.social
April 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Hey @bsky.app can you please allow universities to verify their faculty? That would go a long way to promoting trust. I hope your list of verified people is not just sports stars and pop idols.
bsky.social/about/blog/0...
bsky.social/about/blog/0...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
When @mauritiantales.bsky.social and I began leading this study, we never thought it would get 10 citations let alone the 200 it reached his week!
But what started almost 5 years ago as a lockdown data project has taken us on an unimaginable rollercoaster... (1/n)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
But what started almost 5 years ago as a lockdown data project has taken us on an unimaginable rollercoaster... (1/n)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Analysing the global distribution, source and authorship of fossil research over the past 30 years, the authors find that researchers in high- or upper-middle-income countries hold a monopoly over pal...
www.nature.com
April 7, 2025 at 9:37 AM
When @mauritiantales.bsky.social and I began leading this study, we never thought it would get 10 citations let alone the 200 it reached his week!
But what started almost 5 years ago as a lockdown data project has taken us on an unimaginable rollercoaster... (1/n)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
But what started almost 5 years ago as a lockdown data project has taken us on an unimaginable rollercoaster... (1/n)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
My latest for @nytimes.com! Almost every iguana in the world is found in the Americas -- except for four species that live in the South Pacific, 5000 miles away. So how on earth did they get there?
Well, y'all seen that movie "Flow?"
🧪🦎
Well, y'all seen that movie "Flow?"
🧪🦎
These Iguanas Got Carried Away and Ended Up in Fiji, 5,000 Miles From Home
Genetic evidence suggests that the reptiles somehow managed millions of years ago to make an ocean crossing from North America to Fiji.
www.nytimes.com
March 17, 2025 at 7:42 PM
My latest for @nytimes.com! Almost every iguana in the world is found in the Americas -- except for four species that live in the South Pacific, 5000 miles away. So how on earth did they get there?
Well, y'all seen that movie "Flow?"
🧪🦎
Well, y'all seen that movie "Flow?"
🧪🦎
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Coauthors include @ashieldsestrada.bsky.social (recent UT PhD!), @allyboville.bsky.social (newly minted PhD candidate at UT@), and @jjjacisin3.bsky.social (incoming prof at UW Green Bay!) and many more not on bluesky
March 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Coauthors include @ashieldsestrada.bsky.social (recent UT PhD!), @allyboville.bsky.social (newly minted PhD candidate at UT@), and @jjjacisin3.bsky.social (incoming prof at UW Green Bay!) and many more not on bluesky
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
This was a super fun collaboration with LOTS of students including folks from South America, led by UT Austin grad student Céline Carneiro, and co-senior authored by my postdoc mentor @kzutaustin.bsky.social and me!
Make sure to peep our positionality statement <3
Make sure to peep our positionality statement <3
March 17, 2025 at 4:02 PM
This was a super fun collaboration with LOTS of students including folks from South America, led by UT Austin grad student Céline Carneiro, and co-senior authored by my postdoc mentor @kzutaustin.bsky.social and me!
Make sure to peep our positionality statement <3
Make sure to peep our positionality statement <3
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Where are the global cold spots in genomic resources for amphibians and reptiles? And what can we do to ensure international collaborations are equitable?
Check out our new Molecular Ecology paper, hot off the presses!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Check out our new Molecular Ecology paper, hot off the presses!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Toward a Global Science of Conservation Genomics: Coldspots in Genomic Resources Highlight a Need for Equitable Collaborations and Capacity Building
Advances in genomic sequencing have magnified our understanding of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms relevant to biodiversity conservation. As a result, the field of conservation genomics has gr...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 17, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Where are the global cold spots in genomic resources for amphibians and reptiles? And what can we do to ensure international collaborations are equitable?
Check out our new Molecular Ecology paper, hot off the presses!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Check out our new Molecular Ecology paper, hot off the presses!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
I have some good news: I have accepted a tenure -track position at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as their first paleontologist! I would love to connect with scientists, and especially paleontology/herpetology/wildlife folks in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.
March 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
I have some good news: I have accepted a tenure -track position at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as their first paleontologist! I would love to connect with scientists, and especially paleontology/herpetology/wildlife folks in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Apply now for SVP’s Futures Award! 🦕
This award ($5,000 USD) is intended to support a summer research experience for current undergraduate students (incl. community colleges) who are Black, Indigenous, and/or members of other racial or ethnic minority groups!
Link: vertpaleo.org/svp-futures-...
This award ($5,000 USD) is intended to support a summer research experience for current undergraduate students (incl. community colleges) who are Black, Indigenous, and/or members of other racial or ethnic minority groups!
Link: vertpaleo.org/svp-futures-...
SVP Futures Award – Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
vertpaleo.org
February 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Apply now for SVP’s Futures Award! 🦕
This award ($5,000 USD) is intended to support a summer research experience for current undergraduate students (incl. community colleges) who are Black, Indigenous, and/or members of other racial or ethnic minority groups!
Link: vertpaleo.org/svp-futures-...
This award ($5,000 USD) is intended to support a summer research experience for current undergraduate students (incl. community colleges) who are Black, Indigenous, and/or members of other racial or ethnic minority groups!
Link: vertpaleo.org/svp-futures-...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
I just found out that one of my former interns also lost their job last week. She is a perfect example of the kind of person you want doing science for our country, and now her work has been tossed to the side, like so many others - it’s sickening.
www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...
www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...
Voices: I lost my job because of Trump’s mass layoffs. What are Utah’s political leaders doing to stand up for people like me?
“Now, rather than paying income taxes in Utah and continuing to work sustaining the health of the federal lands that fuel Utah’s economy, I am applying for unemployment in Utah,” writes Dr. M. Allison...
www.sltrib.com
February 22, 2025 at 3:13 AM
I just found out that one of my former interns also lost their job last week. She is a perfect example of the kind of person you want doing science for our country, and now her work has been tossed to the side, like so many others - it’s sickening.
www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...
www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
Announcing the rather epic 'Glossary of tetrapod tracks' in Palaeontologia Electronica. Three years of work led by Jens Lallensack, and with Guiseppe Leonardi (author of the original '87 Glossary).
We hope it will be useful for anyone working on tracks
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025...
We hope it will be useful for anyone working on tracks
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025...
Glossary of tetrapod tracks
Glossary of fossil tetrapod tracks
palaeo-electronica.org
February 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Announcing the rather epic 'Glossary of tetrapod tracks' in Palaeontologia Electronica. Three years of work led by Jens Lallensack, and with Guiseppe Leonardi (author of the original '87 Glossary).
We hope it will be useful for anyone working on tracks
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025...
We hope it will be useful for anyone working on tracks
palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025...
Reposted by John J. Jacisin III
I am deeply saddened to have learned of the death, on Feb 5, 2025, of Elisabeth Vrba—a fantastically creative scientist and a warm, wonderful human being. She leaves us a legacy of original macroevolutionary thinking that is still fresh and illuminating.
February 10, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I am deeply saddened to have learned of the death, on Feb 5, 2025, of Elisabeth Vrba—a fantastically creative scientist and a warm, wonderful human being. She leaves us a legacy of original macroevolutionary thinking that is still fresh and illuminating.