Frank Hailer
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o-o-frank.bsky.social
Frank Hailer
@o-o-frank.bsky.social
Evolutionary geneticist at Cardiff University, Wales.
Cardiff Molecular Ecology and Evolution @MolEcolCU
Otter Project @Otter_Project
Associate Editor, Heredity @heredityjournal.bsky.social
https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=GEC8f5YAAAAJ
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Hi Folks !

Just a few more days to register for the POPGROUP meeting (deadline = this Monday 10/11/2025).

Join us in the beautiful city of #Lille just across the Channel for three exciting days of science and more !

www.hautsdefrancetourism.com/destinations...

--> populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk
November 5, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Back to Cardiff, after serving as external #PhD examiner. Congrats to Stefano Porrelli from #QMUL for passing his viva with minor corrections. Fascinating work on #introgression and incomplete lineage sorting in Ruminants.
Congrats also to supervisors @anneropiquet.bsky.social, Alexandre Hassanin
October 17, 2025 at 8:54 PM
#Wanted: running and alive:
Someone with an active #SEQUENCHER software license. I have a few old Sequencher project data files with #DNA sequence data (*.spf), but no access to the software. Anyone with access could perhaps help me export the files?

Please RT
July 16, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Gu is joining the otter team for her PhD! 🦦
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Health Inspection and Quarantine from Guangdong Medical University (2018) and a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of Aberdeen (2023). Find Gu on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/qub-gu-ot....
May 12, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Continuing the recent theme of conservation genetics, we return to the sea with Marc Gose and Rob Ogden. They discuss their work on the white-beaked dolphin, and the importance of international collaboration to manage populations that span borders
@gensocuk.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social
May 4, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Very proud to announce that the Bayesian version of our Phylogenetic Path Analysis method has been (finally) published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Another extremely enjoyable collaboration with the brilliant @achazhardenberg.bsky.social
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
PhyBaSE: A Bayesian structural equation model approach to causal inference in phylogenetic comparative analyses
One of the main limitations of phylogenetic comparative analyses is that associations between traits can only be interpreted as correlations. Here, we present a novel Bayesian structural equation ...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Sharing this thread by brilliant Dr @sduplessis.bsky.social about another chapter of her @cardiffuni.bsky.social PhD thesis published. Very pleased to see her museum DNA results looking so promising for us to find out more about #otters. More specimens currently in the pipeline, but 🤫
May 1, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
We are looking to contract a technician for work on our historic bear project. Unfortunately, we are restricted to US citizens or permanent residents for this position. Please share and see further details here: evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldi...
https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/Other//SmithsonianNatlZoo.ContractTechn
The Center for Conservation Genomics is looking to contract a laboratory technician for one year. The independent contractor will extract DNA and produce and sequence DNA libraries from historic bear ...
evol.mcmaster.ca
March 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Introducing Sandra, a Portuguese PhD student from the @cfe_engel research group at the University of Coimbra. Part of her research will be developed in collaboration with the Otter Project, at Cardiff!

@cfe_engel
@e3g_uc

#WildlifeConservation #Lutralutra #GeneticsResearch #GenomicsResearch #otters
March 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Don't forget to sign up to our e-newsletter! The newest edition is coming out soon 🦦 !

Copy the link below to sign up: eepurl.com/cWWYlX

Photo: Jeff Chard

#newsletter #cardiffuni #eurasianotter #conservation #ukwildlife #ecology #cardiffuniversityotterproject #conservation #biosciences #otters
February 28, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Do you use Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) genomes for your work or grant applications? If so, can you please fill out this form? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... We are gathering info on how DToL genomes are used. It will help us raise money to continue producing publicly available high-quality genomes.
Darwin Tree of Life Impact Assessment
This form is used to share information within DToL about case studies, ongoing research, and funding awards that demonstrate the impact the Darwin Tree of Life consortium project has had on Global and...
docs.google.com
February 24, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Happy to discuss if you're interested in coming to Cardiff!
If you're a non-UK scientist who wants to come to the UK for a postdoc, this year's Newton Fellowships are now open. You'll need a lab to host you (which could be me, but truly, could be any PI, so get in touch with someone you'd like to work with!)

royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
Newton International Fellowships | Royal Society
This fellowship is for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK.
royalsociety.org
February 12, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
We are making a brand new #Museomics Lab at NHM Denmark, University of Copenhagen - working with DNA from museum & herbarium specimens. We are looking for a lab manager to join us - unlocking the amazing potential of our collections for global change 🌐 and #conservationgenomics research
Full-time Molecular Biology Lab Manager at Natural History Museum Denmark
Natural History Museum Denmark, Faculty of Science, the University of Copenhagen is looking for a full-time Molecular Biology Lab Manager, to start 1st June 202
candidate.hr-manager.net
February 11, 2025 at 8:42 AM
In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, here's an hommage (or womanage?) to the many brilliant scientists I get to work with in our Cardiff University Otter Project (@otterproject.bsky.social)
February 11, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Google Calendar has removed key cultural events from their site including:

• Pride Month
• Black History Month
• Holocaust Remembrance Day
• Jewish Heritage
• Hispanic Heritage
• Indigenous People Month
February 10, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
‼️These #PSMC #peaks are #artifacts‼️

Seen #PSMC results like this🤔?
They are caused by ill-set parameters, #very #common, and #easy #to #solve!

For details see 🧵& OA paper @currentbiology.bsky.social
🙂🐢🧬🎉!

cell.com/current-biol...
Avoidable false PSMC population size peaks occur across numerous studies
Hilgers et al. detect and solve a common artifact in PSMC and related methods for historical population size inference. Analyses of real and simulated genomes show that ill-set default parameters fals...
cell.com
February 7, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
I usually reserve this account for my personal views; but today I want to represent my position as President of @asn-amnat.bsky.social to post a message that will shortly go out to the membership of the American Society of Naturalists from the ASN Executive Council
February 6, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Gold explanation below by @omearabrian.bsky.social, in plain words, of what Markov Chain Monte Carlo is (with MCMCMC as bonus material at the bottom).

Read this also if you're interested in fancy hats.
Once again, I need someone to explain Markov Chain Monte Carlo in normal people words. Like, real normal people words.... not math people words.
February 5, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
We knew pet tick & flea treatments contaminate every river via domestic effluents. Now we see they are poisoning bird nests too. These hideously ecotoxic compounds are already banned in agriculture so why are they still freely available for pets? www.pan-uk.org/garden-birds...
Garden birds are being poisoned by pet flea treatments - Pesticide Action Network UK
Garden birds, such as blue tits and great tits, are being poisoned by pesticides found in pet tick and flea treatments.
www.pan-uk.org
February 4, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
This is what leadership from a scientific society looks like. Bravo @amornith.bsky.social
🧪
February 3, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
New paper out 📝✨

"k-mer approaches for biodiversity genomics"

We discuss k-mer spectra, sex determination, allopolyploid subgenome separation, among other topics - and offer a large tutorial list

Link to paper:
genome.cshlp.org/content/earl...

Link to all tutorials:
github.com/KamilSJaron/...
February 3, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
We’ve also created a 2-page policy brief for anyone wanting to learn more about conserving #GeneticDiversity- available in 14 languages (and more to come)! Follow the link below ⬇️

url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/uWHeC71Zo8...
Thrilled to see our paper out in @nature.com! Huge thanks to @cegrueber.bsky.social @katefarquharson.bsky.social & the core team for a mammoth effort over 6yrs! Privileged to work with 57 scientists who spent many hours screening papers & more. Missing the late Mike Bruford-who helped inspire it all
Out now in @nature.com! Our comprehensive meta-analysis of global terrestrial and marine genetic diversity demonstrates rapid loss of genetic diversity and identifies conservation interventions that could mitigate this process
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧪🌍🦤🧬
#consgen #PopGen
January 29, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
It’s not all doom and gloom! We show in @nature.com that genetic diversity is in decline, but in @theconversation.com we dive into five strategies to help maintain or restore biodiversity @robynshaw.bsky.social @katefarquharson.bsky.social
theconversation.com/gene-pools-a...
🧪🌍🦤🧬 #consgen #popgen
Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for many species. We found 5 ways to help
Genetic diversity is being lost across many species – especially birds and mammals. But you can help stop the decline.
theconversation.com
January 29, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Frank Hailer
Congratulations to @robynshaw.bsky.social, @cegrueber.bsky.social, and too many other friends to list here on this important paper in @nature.com on the global extent of genetic diversity loss. It was a pleasure discussing it w/ Elizabeth Pennisi from @science.org.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Wide range of Earth’s species are showing a decline in diversity
The loss of genetic variation means species may be less resilient to climate change and other stressors
www.science.org
January 29, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Excited to share this! Been involved in this massive, global meta-analysis of temporal trends in genetic diversity 🧬 since spring 2020, during lockdown. Also a fantastic collaboration involving wonderful people around the world. 🌍
@cgsg.bsky.social @cardiffuni.bsky.social
January 29, 2025 at 7:15 PM