Ric Morris
@skull-bloke.bsky.social
Welsh border bones enthusiast, photographer, speaker, author of UK mammal bones ID guide, published sometime this decade. Lefty tweeter. Own views, etc!
"Hello! I'm at #AstonOnClun this morning for @shropshirewildlife.bsky.social ... and everything on the table is dead! No idea how that happened; don't tell my boss!"
March 15, 2025 at 10:37 AM
"Hello! I'm at #AstonOnClun this morning for @shropshirewildlife.bsky.social ... and everything on the table is dead! No idea how that happened; don't tell my boss!"
At a loose end in the Bishop's Castle area of South Shropshire tomorrow afternoon? Hear my Confessions! Pre-booking via BC Town Hall (01588 630023) and / or early arrival recommended around 1.30pm, to hear the Confessions Overture!
February 22, 2025 at 10:21 AM
At a loose end in the Bishop's Castle area of South Shropshire tomorrow afternoon? Hear my Confessions! Pre-booking via BC Town Hall (01588 630023) and / or early arrival recommended around 1.30pm, to hear the Confessions Overture!
Lawrence and Brown... Two of the first edition and seven of the second. For teaching purposes, you understand.
December 27, 2024 at 11:27 AM
Lawrence and Brown... Two of the first edition and seven of the second. For teaching purposes, you understand.
Does anyone on BlueSky have a copy of this book? How useful is it to a European osteologist, how well-illustrated is it? Amazon doesn't have page previews other than front and back covers, & just one rather sketchy review. Would anyone be kind enough to share a few 'typical' page scans please?
December 26, 2024 at 6:17 PM
Does anyone on BlueSky have a copy of this book? How useful is it to a European osteologist, how well-illustrated is it? Amazon doesn't have page previews other than front and back covers, & just one rather sketchy review. Would anyone be kind enough to share a few 'typical' page scans please?
Another date for the Diary.
December 7, 2024 at 7:37 AM
Another date for the Diary.
Date for the Diary.
December 4, 2024 at 3:14 PM
Date for the Diary.
The cribriform plate is a perforated structure at the front of a skull's cranial space. Here, olfactory nerves enter the forebrain from the turbinal bones in the nasal area, where the soft tissue & organs of the sense of smell are located. Here's the cribriform plate of a polecat, Mustela putorius.
November 21, 2024 at 11:07 AM
The cribriform plate is a perforated structure at the front of a skull's cranial space. Here, olfactory nerves enter the forebrain from the turbinal bones in the nasal area, where the soft tissue & organs of the sense of smell are located. Here's the cribriform plate of a polecat, Mustela putorius.
Is there any fluent German / English speaking mammal anatomist out there who would be interested in approaching the publishers or authors to get agreement to translate these comprehensive and well-illustrated skull identification books into English?
October 28, 2024 at 9:08 PM
Is there any fluent German / English speaking mammal anatomist out there who would be interested in approaching the publishers or authors to get agreement to translate these comprehensive and well-illustrated skull identification books into English?
My #ShropshireWildlifeTrust display is a little more modest than usual at #AstonOnClun today but I'm always keen to chat about our #wildlife in #Shropshire😎
Can I tempt you to join us to help
#ProtectWildlife and threatened habitats where you live?
Can I tempt you to join us to help
#ProtectWildlife and threatened habitats where you live?
September 21, 2024 at 9:16 AM
My #ShropshireWildlifeTrust display is a little more modest than usual at #AstonOnClun today but I'm always keen to chat about our #wildlife in #Shropshire😎
Can I tempt you to join us to help
#ProtectWildlife and threatened habitats where you live?
Can I tempt you to join us to help
#ProtectWildlife and threatened habitats where you live?
Another thing with 'Mammals of Britain - Their Tracks Trails and Signs' by Lawrence & Brown is that none of the illustrations is credited; presumably drawn by one of the co-authors. But the bat skull illustrations in both editions are close matches to Edward A Wilson's pictures in Barrett-Hamilton!
September 4, 2024 at 9:25 PM
Another thing with 'Mammals of Britain - Their Tracks Trails and Signs' by Lawrence & Brown is that none of the illustrations is credited; presumably drawn by one of the co-authors. But the bat skull illustrations in both editions are close matches to Edward A Wilson's pictures in Barrett-Hamilton!
2/2 The second edition of Lawrence & Brown extended the osteology content from the likely prey in owl pellets & other smallish mammals to mink & larger skulls, including badger, otter, dog, also including carnivore long bones. But they only redrew the four mustelids and the cat.
September 4, 2024 at 12:23 AM
2/2 The second edition of Lawrence & Brown extended the osteology content from the likely prey in owl pellets & other smallish mammals to mink & larger skulls, including badger, otter, dog, also including carnivore long bones. But they only redrew the four mustelids and the cat.
Illustrations of the small mustelid skulls from 1973's second edition of 'Mammals of Britain - Their Tracks Trails and Signs' by Lawrence & Brown. The artist has overdone the spotty shading, and to my mind they're less accurately depicted than the illustrations in the 1967 edition. 1/2
September 3, 2024 at 11:59 PM
Illustrations of the small mustelid skulls from 1973's second edition of 'Mammals of Britain - Their Tracks Trails and Signs' by Lawrence & Brown. The artist has overdone the spotty shading, and to my mind they're less accurately depicted than the illustrations in the 1967 edition. 1/2
The beautiful small mustelid skull illustrations from the 1967 edition of 'Mammals of Britain - Their Tracks Trails and Signs' by MJ Lawrence & RW Brown. Far better than those used for the (admittedly more comprehensive) second edition of 1973. I'll post those next, see if you agree.
September 3, 2024 at 11:52 PM
The beautiful small mustelid skull illustrations from the 1967 edition of 'Mammals of Britain - Their Tracks Trails and Signs' by MJ Lawrence & RW Brown. Far better than those used for the (admittedly more comprehensive) second edition of 1973. I'll post those next, see if you agree.
Oops - didn't add pictures!
August 15, 2024 at 12:18 PM
Oops - didn't add pictures!
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 6/6. Pine marten & Rabbit by Peter Hurworth / Mountain hare by D. Erasmus / Right Whale & Fin whale by D. Erasmus and Joanna C. Webb. There were only 24 booklets printed in this series so thread ends here!
August 15, 2024 at 12:13 PM
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 6/6. Pine marten & Rabbit by Peter Hurworth / Mountain hare by D. Erasmus / Right Whale & Fin whale by D. Erasmus and Joanna C. Webb. There were only 24 booklets printed in this series so thread ends here!
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 4/6. Red deer by Frank A Johnson / Weasel and Mole by Joanna C Webb / Brown rat Otter by Frank A Johnson again.
August 15, 2024 at 12:07 PM
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 4/6. Red deer by Frank A Johnson / Weasel and Mole by Joanna C Webb / Brown rat Otter by Frank A Johnson again.
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 3/6. Red fox, Hazel dormouse, Fallow and Roe deer, all by Frank A Johnson.
August 15, 2024 at 12:05 PM
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 3/6. Red fox, Hazel dormouse, Fallow and Roe deer, all by Frank A Johnson.
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 2/6. Grey & red squirrels and Grey seal by Joanna C Webb / Otter by Frank A Johnson.
August 15, 2024 at 12:03 PM
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 2/6. Grey & red squirrels and Grey seal by Joanna C Webb / Otter by Frank A Johnson.
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 🧵 Badger & Greater horseshoe bat by Joanna C Webb / Hedgehog & Water vole by Frank Johnson.
August 15, 2024 at 12:00 PM
Skeleton artwork from the Sunday Times 'Animals of Britain' series; 1960s. 🧵 Badger & Greater horseshoe bat by Joanna C Webb / Hedgehog & Water vole by Frank Johnson.
Water vole, Arvicola amphibius skull with mandible pathology; note erosion of the lateral aspect of the mandible body seen in the first pic, exposing the M2 root. This specimen is part of the reference collection at @ZooarcLabSheff. 2/2
August 12, 2024 at 11:06 AM
Water vole, Arvicola amphibius skull with mandible pathology; note erosion of the lateral aspect of the mandible body seen in the first pic, exposing the M2 root. This specimen is part of the reference collection at @ZooarcLabSheff. 2/2
Water vole, Arvicola amphibius skull with pathology issues on both mandibles; bone deformation to the body of both mandibles plus overgrown lower incisors and first lower left molar tooth due to malocclusion. 1/2
August 12, 2024 at 11:05 AM
Water vole, Arvicola amphibius skull with pathology issues on both mandibles; bone deformation to the body of both mandibles plus overgrown lower incisors and first lower left molar tooth due to malocclusion. 1/2
Nasal turbinate bones in a damaged European beaver skull, Castor fiber. This is the medial aspect, left side, the right side of the skull is absent. The front of the skull is to the right of the picture. Specimen photographed in the reference collection at the Zooarch Lab, University of Sheffield.
August 11, 2024 at 6:26 AM
Nasal turbinate bones in a damaged European beaver skull, Castor fiber. This is the medial aspect, left side, the right side of the skull is absent. The front of the skull is to the right of the picture. Specimen photographed in the reference collection at the Zooarch Lab, University of Sheffield.
Asymmetric fox Vulpes vulpes, part two. This delightfully wonky specimen is part of the reference collection of the University of Sheffield Zooarchaeology Lab.
August 10, 2024 at 8:17 PM
Asymmetric fox Vulpes vulpes, part two. This delightfully wonky specimen is part of the reference collection of the University of Sheffield Zooarchaeology Lab.
An asymmetric fox skull, Vulpes vulpes; it looks fine from either side and in ventral view, but check out the next post...
August 10, 2024 at 8:14 PM
An asymmetric fox skull, Vulpes vulpes; it looks fine from either side and in ventral view, but check out the next post...