Kevin Bird
@stairwaytokevin.bsky.social
Postdoc in evolutionary genomics of polyploids at RBG Kew | science & society | opinions mine
Mizzou, Fulbright Belgium, and Michigan State alum. Here because of medicaid, public universities, and pell grants
https://kevinabird.github.io/
Mizzou, Fulbright Belgium, and Michigan State alum. Here because of medicaid, public universities, and pell grants
https://kevinabird.github.io/
Evolutionary psychology makes a big to-do about their finding that sexual selection favors a "feminine body type" that "signals fertility/reproductive potential", including some rather... silly research. Turns out, those traits don't seem to signal reproductive success. Oops! doi.org/10.1017/ehs....
November 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Evolutionary psychology makes a big to-do about their finding that sexual selection favors a "feminine body type" that "signals fertility/reproductive potential", including some rather... silly research. Turns out, those traits don't seem to signal reproductive success. Oops! doi.org/10.1017/ehs....
A political message all branches of the tree of life can get behind
November 8, 2025 at 9:33 PM
A political message all branches of the tree of life can get behind
I think democrats should stand for environmental consciousness and equitable education
November 4, 2025 at 1:06 PM
I think democrats should stand for environmental consciousness and equitable education
Aww, some twitter nazis are mad that my papers are being used to clean out race science from wikipedia
November 3, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Aww, some twitter nazis are mad that my papers are being used to clean out race science from wikipedia
Exciting things coming soon...
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Exciting things coming soon...
~75% of my social media posting
October 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
~75% of my social media posting
This is your 30s
October 29, 2025 at 7:42 PM
This is your 30s
People on twitter are losing their minds over this, including several scientists who I have to assume have either brain poisoned themselves or were always like this. People don't always cite what's best; they cite what they know & researchers from historically excluded communities get the short end.
October 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
People on twitter are losing their minds over this, including several scientists who I have to assume have either brain poisoned themselves or were always like this. People don't always cite what's best; they cite what they know & researchers from historically excluded communities get the short end.
The plan? Use your campaign as an outsider candidate for the Maine Democratic Senate primary to distract from your massive Nazi chest tattoo
October 21, 2025 at 10:06 PM
The plan? Use your campaign as an outsider candidate for the Maine Democratic Senate primary to distract from your massive Nazi chest tattoo
This sucks so much man wtf
October 20, 2025 at 8:45 AM
This sucks so much man wtf
Cathy continues to be one of the dumbest D-list right wing bloggers around
October 20, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Cathy continues to be one of the dumbest D-list right wing bloggers around
Never Ask a woman her age
A man, his salary
Or Damien Morris to consider the ethical issues with behavior genetics
A man, his salary
Or Damien Morris to consider the ethical issues with behavior genetics
October 20, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Never Ask a woman her age
A man, his salary
Or Damien Morris to consider the ethical issues with behavior genetics
A man, his salary
Or Damien Morris to consider the ethical issues with behavior genetics
Approximately here
October 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Approximately here
A Prelude to Violence
October 14, 2025 at 12:23 PM
A Prelude to Violence
Incorrect. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
October 3, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Incorrect. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
We also looked at the evolution of immune gene clusters (NLRs). We found these gene clusters tend to be syntenic within and across species, but the gene turnover at these loci is so high that it erodes 1:1 orthology between pennycress & Arabidopsis, leading to distinct NLR content across species. 6/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
We also looked at the evolution of immune gene clusters (NLRs). We found these gene clusters tend to be syntenic within and across species, but the gene turnover at these loci is so high that it erodes 1:1 orthology between pennycress & Arabidopsis, leading to distinct NLR content across species. 6/
The exceptional quality of these genomes (all centromeres & telomeres sequenced) allowed us to investigate if these rearrangements affect the centromeres. To our surprise, we found that every centromere differed in position and structure between the Armenian genotype and the reference MN106. 5/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
The exceptional quality of these genomes (all centromeres & telomeres sequenced) allowed us to investigate if these rearrangements affect the centromeres. To our surprise, we found that every centromere differed in position and structure between the Armenian genotype and the reference MN106. 5/
In the most extreme case, an accession from Armenia (Ames 32873) has nearly unprecedented levels of genomic rearrangement: only 25% syntenic to the reference genotype. However, those rearrangements are entirely located in the pericentromeres and don't contribute to higher levels of gene PAV. 4/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
In the most extreme case, an accession from Armenia (Ames 32873) has nearly unprecedented levels of genomic rearrangement: only 25% syntenic to the reference genotype. However, those rearrangements are entirely located in the pericentromeres and don't contribute to higher levels of gene PAV. 4/
Whole-genome alignments revealed pennycress has nearly dichotomous genome compartmentalization: huge gene-poor pericentromeric regions (~300Mb; <1% genic) with frequent rearrangements and highly syntenic gene-rich chromosome arms (~150Mb; ~20% genic). What we call a "two-speed" genome structure. 3/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Whole-genome alignments revealed pennycress has nearly dichotomous genome compartmentalization: huge gene-poor pericentromeric regions (~300Mb; <1% genic) with frequent rearrangements and highly syntenic gene-rich chromosome arms (~150Mb; ~20% genic). What we call a "two-speed" genome structure. 3/
Genome size variation (455Mb-466Mb) and gene level presence/absence variation between genotypes was small (~80% core), but the pangenomic variation in genome graph was larger (~53% core), suggesting more going on beneath the surface. 2/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Genome size variation (455Mb-466Mb) and gene level presence/absence variation between genotypes was small (~80% core), but the pangenomic variation in genome graph was larger (~53% core), suggesting more going on beneath the surface. 2/
