Had an absolutely blast at #SVP2025. It was great to catch up with friends old and new, and see the amazing science on display! Feeling recharged (but also exhausted) and excited about research!

Just arrived in Birmingham for #2025SVP! Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Ever wondered about the evolution of filter feeding in Antarctic seals?
If so, come along to my talk on Wednesday at 4pm in Hall 1.

Had a great time presenting at #pintofscience2025 with @slyssabits.bsky.social and @sharkslikejazz.bsky.social. Thanks to all the organisers for giving me the chance to talk about seals 🦭

Happy International Seal Day! 🦭 Today, monk seals live in warm tropical waters in the Northern Hemisphere. But 3 million years ago, one lived in New Zealand. We named this seal Eomonachus belegaerensis in 2020. 🎨 @branartworks.bsky.social

For #FossilFriday, here's the extinct pinniped Allodesmus from the Miocene of California. They are part of an extinct family of pinnipeds (Desmatophocidae) 🦭 that left no living relatives today.

When you wake up and you're already done for the day haha

They do like accumulating freinds

The derpiest one is this guy!

Ross seals 🦭 have such odd shaped heads. They have a very short snout, which essentially reduces their heads to a large pair of eyes #MarMam

Hi new followers 👋 intro time!

I'm James, an evolutionary biologist studying the origins and adaptations of pinnipeds (fur seals, sea lions, true seals, walruses). My current research projects are investigating the evolution of hearing and feeding adaptations in pinnipeds

I also study 🐢🦘🐳🦖🐀

Blue Whale at WA Museum Boola Bardip for #SMM2024

I feel very smol in comparison 🐋

Landed in Perth ready for #SMM2024! Interested in the unique amphibious hearing abilities of pinnipeds? So am I!

Come see my talk on the evolutionary origins and anatomical evidence for amphibious hearing in seals!

Monday, 11:30am in Room 4 (Hearing Mechanisms) @marinemammalogy

We also subsequently review the validity of extinct phocid taxa. Based on the findings here and elsewhere, we recommend that over 50% of fossil phocids should be considered nomina dubia. This has some serious implications for palaeontology and macroevolution studies on phocids.

Really happy to be at #CAVEPS2023 catching up with friends, and hearing about everyone's awesome projects!

If you're interested in hearing me ramble about the origins of the best seals of all time, I'll be talking about it at 9:06am 🦭😎

good seal taxidermy

Had a great two days researching fossil walruses at Tokyo and Hokkaido museums. Thanks to Prof. Naoki Kohno for letting me visit and talking pinniped evolution with me; and Prof. Yoshitsugu Kobayashi for accomodating me so I could see Archaeodobenus

Hi I'm James, I'm a researcher at the Natural History Museum London. I study the evolution of seals, mostly using museum specimens and 3D data.

My current research focuses on the origins of unique traits in seals, such as amphibious hearing and feeding strategies.

Looking forward to talking about everything seals this afternoon for NHM London's Nature Live 🦭

Looking at walrus tusks from the Red Crag this Fossil Friday