Dr Thomas Clements
@taphonomist.bsky.social
Doctor of Decay. Palaeontologist studying the dark art of taphonomy: how squishy animals become fossils. Loves 🐙♥️ (he/him).
October 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Had the amazing privilege earlier in the year to watch a lithographic limestone plate be made by one last plate makers in Germany. Each plate is cut and then hammered by hand into shape - and after having a go it's very skilled work. Currently they have no apprentices, so a truly dying art.
October 9, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Had the amazing privilege earlier in the year to watch a lithographic limestone plate be made by one last plate makers in Germany. Each plate is cut and then hammered by hand into shape - and after having a go it's very skilled work. Currently they have no apprentices, so a truly dying art.
It's Kürbiszeit (pumpkin time) here in Bavaria! Bumper crops this year from the local farms, so every type of pumpkin dish is on the menu 🎃
October 7, 2025 at 12:39 PM
It's Kürbiszeit (pumpkin time) here in Bavaria! Bumper crops this year from the local farms, so every type of pumpkin dish is on the menu 🎃
🎵 Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong,
West Bavaria, Solnhofen Plattenkalk,
Take me home, country roads 🎶
To the place I belong,
West Bavaria, Solnhofen Plattenkalk,
Take me home, country roads 🎶
September 13, 2025 at 9:09 AM
🎵 Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong,
West Bavaria, Solnhofen Plattenkalk,
Take me home, country roads 🎶
To the place I belong,
West Bavaria, Solnhofen Plattenkalk,
Take me home, country roads 🎶
Very excited to announce that I will be joining the staff at @uniofreading.bsky.social in the new year.
Especially looking forward to working alongside Kevin the Ichthyostega and the team at the @colezoology.bsky.social as part of my new role.
Especially looking forward to working alongside Kevin the Ichthyostega and the team at the @colezoology.bsky.social as part of my new role.
September 8, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Very excited to announce that I will be joining the staff at @uniofreading.bsky.social in the new year.
Especially looking forward to working alongside Kevin the Ichthyostega and the team at the @colezoology.bsky.social as part of my new role.
Especially looking forward to working alongside Kevin the Ichthyostega and the team at the @colezoology.bsky.social as part of my new role.
Hard to concentrate on a symposium when the person sitting next to you keeps snuffling you for scritches.
September 3, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Hard to concentrate on a symposium when the person sitting next to you keeps snuffling you for scritches.
More uncertainty for ECRs in terms of NERC IRF. Hard not to feel like an already difficult situation is getting worse and worse in the UK.
Not much transparency or a clear timeline here, making it difficult for any form of future planning. Anyone know a rough ETA?
Not much transparency or a clear timeline here, making it difficult for any form of future planning. Anyone know a rough ETA?
August 7, 2025 at 9:00 AM
More uncertainty for ECRs in terms of NERC IRF. Hard not to feel like an already difficult situation is getting worse and worse in the UK.
Not much transparency or a clear timeline here, making it difficult for any form of future planning. Anyone know a rough ETA?
Not much transparency or a clear timeline here, making it difficult for any form of future planning. Anyone know a rough ETA?
ITS COMING HOME!
Standing in the 'Big Ben British Pub' in Zurich surrounded by Spanish supporters. What a game. What a shootout.
Super proud of the Lionesses. Amazing.
Standing in the 'Big Ben British Pub' in Zurich surrounded by Spanish supporters. What a game. What a shootout.
Super proud of the Lionesses. Amazing.
July 27, 2025 at 8:04 PM
ITS COMING HOME!
Standing in the 'Big Ben British Pub' in Zurich surrounded by Spanish supporters. What a game. What a shootout.
Super proud of the Lionesses. Amazing.
Standing in the 'Big Ben British Pub' in Zurich surrounded by Spanish supporters. What a game. What a shootout.
Super proud of the Lionesses. Amazing.
Only 52% of people polled like Stuttgart's music scene.
July 26, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Only 52% of people polled like Stuttgart's music scene.
Met the cutest potato...
July 22, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Met the cutest potato...
Here is a modern kawaii version of the namazu letting you know that the highways will be closed off in the event of a major earthquake! ❤️
July 15, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Here is a modern kawaii version of the namazu letting you know that the highways will be closed off in the event of a major earthquake! ❤️
Did you know that in 18th century Japan people believed that a giant underground catfish called Namazu (鯰) or Ōnamazu (大鯰) caused earthquakes?
Although seen as evil, Namazu were also seen as an avenger of social injustice - redistributing wealth and punishing selfish people. Food for thought. 🤔
Although seen as evil, Namazu were also seen as an avenger of social injustice - redistributing wealth and punishing selfish people. Food for thought. 🤔
July 15, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Did you know that in 18th century Japan people believed that a giant underground catfish called Namazu (鯰) or Ōnamazu (大鯰) caused earthquakes?
Although seen as evil, Namazu were also seen as an avenger of social injustice - redistributing wealth and punishing selfish people. Food for thought. 🤔
Although seen as evil, Namazu were also seen as an avenger of social injustice - redistributing wealth and punishing selfish people. Food for thought. 🤔
The next installment of my Japanese Woodcut art series is "Aji Fish and Kuruma-ebi" by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858).
This example is part a series called "Uozukushi" which means 'Every Variety of Fish'. 🐟❤️
This example is part a series called "Uozukushi" which means 'Every Variety of Fish'. 🐟❤️
July 10, 2025 at 6:20 AM
The next installment of my Japanese Woodcut art series is "Aji Fish and Kuruma-ebi" by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858).
This example is part a series called "Uozukushi" which means 'Every Variety of Fish'. 🐟❤️
This example is part a series called "Uozukushi" which means 'Every Variety of Fish'. 🐟❤️
One of my favourite #MaryAnning facts™️ is that she would discover fossil cephalopod 🐙 fossils with preserved ink sacks, concoct a dangerous chemical slime to turn them back into gloopy ink, and then use her Jurassic ink to draw exquisite illustrations of the vertebrate fossils she found.
Meta.
Meta.
June 25, 2025 at 9:02 AM
One of my favourite #MaryAnning facts™️ is that she would discover fossil cephalopod 🐙 fossils with preserved ink sacks, concoct a dangerous chemical slime to turn them back into gloopy ink, and then use her Jurassic ink to draw exquisite illustrations of the vertebrate fossils she found.
Meta.
Meta.
Super interesting paper outlining the damaging impact of the 'Gollum effect': researchers who restrict access to resources.
Very relevant to palaeo work regarding the gatekeeping of collection material and the harm this causes to science. Worth a read!
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
Very relevant to palaeo work regarding the gatekeeping of collection material and the harm this causes to science. Worth a read!
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
May 23, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Super interesting paper outlining the damaging impact of the 'Gollum effect': researchers who restrict access to resources.
Very relevant to palaeo work regarding the gatekeeping of collection material and the harm this causes to science. Worth a read!
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
Very relevant to palaeo work regarding the gatekeeping of collection material and the harm this causes to science. Worth a read!
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
Using XCT, we got really cool images of a buried zebrafish decaying.
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
May 14, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Using XCT, we got really cool images of a buried zebrafish decaying.
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
A fantastic and productive week creating new resources for the next generation of experimental taphonomists! Thanks to @orlabe.bsky.social for driving this forward with me and @paleosynth.bsky.social for hosting us!
April 11, 2025 at 11:09 AM
A fantastic and productive week creating new resources for the next generation of experimental taphonomists! Thanks to @orlabe.bsky.social for driving this forward with me and @paleosynth.bsky.social for hosting us!
Went to our local wetlands this weekend to try and spot beavers! Sadly, didn't spot any but did see their handiwork up and down the river!
March 17, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Went to our local wetlands this weekend to try and spot beavers! Sadly, didn't spot any but did see their handiwork up and down the river!
Was reading the instructions that came with a magnifying glass to find a wonderfully beautiful message at the end. 🔎
Thank you random magnifying glass manufacturer for making me smile.
Thank you random magnifying glass manufacturer for making me smile.
March 7, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Was reading the instructions that came with a magnifying glass to find a wonderfully beautiful message at the end. 🔎
Thank you random magnifying glass manufacturer for making me smile.
Thank you random magnifying glass manufacturer for making me smile.
Enjoy TikTok giving me a community violation for stating that a user posting racist and fascist comments had 'shrimp energy'.
Their posts are still live.
Their posts are still live.
March 3, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Enjoy TikTok giving me a community violation for stating that a user posting racist and fascist comments had 'shrimp energy'.
Their posts are still live.
Their posts are still live.
I'm transitioning my Japanese historical art threads to bluesky - todays wonderful example is 'Fish and Octopus' from a series called 'Colorful Realm of Living Beings (Dōshoku sai-e)', painted by Itō Jakuchū in 1766.
There is a sneaky second octopus in the painting who is very very cute 🐙♥️
There is a sneaky second octopus in the painting who is very very cute 🐙♥️
February 27, 2025 at 10:05 AM
I'm transitioning my Japanese historical art threads to bluesky - todays wonderful example is 'Fish and Octopus' from a series called 'Colorful Realm of Living Beings (Dōshoku sai-e)', painted by Itō Jakuchū in 1766.
There is a sneaky second octopus in the painting who is very very cute 🐙♥️
There is a sneaky second octopus in the painting who is very very cute 🐙♥️
Winning all round
December 23, 2024 at 4:40 PM
Winning all round
Although #PalAss24 was a whirlwind, the highlight for me was going to Grube Messel, an iconic 47 million year old German Lagerstätte.
Of all the hundreds of stunning fossils we saw, this stag beetle took my breath away. With preserved colour as well! Stunning. 🪲❤️
Of all the hundreds of stunning fossils we saw, this stag beetle took my breath away. With preserved colour as well! Stunning. 🪲❤️
December 17, 2024 at 3:50 PM
Although #PalAss24 was a whirlwind, the highlight for me was going to Grube Messel, an iconic 47 million year old German Lagerstätte.
Of all the hundreds of stunning fossils we saw, this stag beetle took my breath away. With preserved colour as well! Stunning. 🪲❤️
Of all the hundreds of stunning fossils we saw, this stag beetle took my breath away. With preserved colour as well! Stunning. 🪲❤️
A massive thank you to all of our volunteers at this year's @thepalass.bsky.social #PalAss24.
It's been a time! We hope you have all enjoyed Erlangen - we have loved having you and hearing about the amazing palaeo-research happening from all over the world!
It's been a time! We hope you have all enjoyed Erlangen - we have loved having you and hearing about the amazing palaeo-research happening from all over the world!
December 13, 2024 at 4:33 AM
A massive thank you to all of our volunteers at this year's @thepalass.bsky.social #PalAss24.
It's been a time! We hope you have all enjoyed Erlangen - we have loved having you and hearing about the amazing palaeo-research happening from all over the world!
It's been a time! We hope you have all enjoyed Erlangen - we have loved having you and hearing about the amazing palaeo-research happening from all over the world!