Tom Hill
@tomcbhill.bsky.social
Quaternary Scientist, geoarchaeologist, diatomist and palynologist. Oh and a slightly gobsmacked Villa fan!
Director of PalaeoEnvironmental Research and Consultancy Services Ltd (PERCS). He/him. Views are my own
Director of PalaeoEnvironmental Research and Consultancy Services Ltd (PERCS). He/him. Views are my own
Each #microscope slide is a tiny window into the past 😊. This #diatom slide was from a sequence of samples from offshore southern North Sea, and is full of only freshwater species! This is because during the Early #Holocene much of the southern North Sea was land, connecting the UK to Europe!
September 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Each #microscope slide is a tiny window into the past 😊. This #diatom slide was from a sequence of samples from offshore southern North Sea, and is full of only freshwater species! This is because during the Early #Holocene much of the southern North Sea was land, connecting the UK to Europe!
One of my all time favourites 😊
August 6, 2025 at 8:37 PM
One of my all time favourites 😊
Playing with my new #microscope and camera setup, came across some beautiful reworked #Eocene #dinoflagellate cysts, in #pollen slides from some #Holocene estuarine alluvium!
August 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Playing with my new #microscope and camera setup, came across some beautiful reworked #Eocene #dinoflagellate cysts, in #pollen slides from some #Holocene estuarine alluvium!
Enjoying counting some rather nice #pollen samples from a #Neolithic peatland site in N England, UK. Rammed with well preserved grains with pine, hazel and lime visible here. Sequence also includes alder, elm, oak, birch and ivy. A native UK #woodland summarised in one pollen sample!
July 15, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Enjoying counting some rather nice #pollen samples from a #Neolithic peatland site in N England, UK. Rammed with well preserved grains with pine, hazel and lime visible here. Sequence also includes alder, elm, oak, birch and ivy. A native UK #woodland summarised in one pollen sample!
I had a great time yesterday attending the Summer Social at @nhm-london.bsky.social . Having worked there for 9 years, I’m fortunate to remain a Scientific Associate and be able to continue to work (and socialise!) with so many inspiring people 😁
July 3, 2025 at 2:51 PM
I had a great time yesterday attending the Summer Social at @nhm-london.bsky.social . Having worked there for 9 years, I’m fortunate to remain a Scientific Associate and be able to continue to work (and socialise!) with so many inspiring people 😁
New microscope to celebrate 4yrs of being a freelance #geoarch #micropalaeontology consultant! Decided to stick with #Motic, as the image quality is 💪💪👌👌, easily comparable to leica, Olympus etc, plus fraction of price! #pollen #diatoms
June 15, 2025 at 10:34 AM
New microscope to celebrate 4yrs of being a freelance #geoarch #micropalaeontology consultant! Decided to stick with #Motic, as the image quality is 💪💪👌👌, easily comparable to leica, Olympus etc, plus fraction of price! #pollen #diatoms
Great opportunity to also catch up with some great friends who regularly worked with John, at his Favorite South Kensington restaurant, Pierinos ☺️☺️
April 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Great opportunity to also catch up with some great friends who regularly worked with John, at his Favorite South Kensington restaurant, Pierinos ☺️☺️
On Wednesday we said farewell to a true legend in #foraminifera and #ostracoda, John Whittaker. John spent almost all his career at the NHM in London, so it was fitting to celebrate his life there, surrounded by his colleagues, friends and family.
April 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM
On Wednesday we said farewell to a true legend in #foraminifera and #ostracoda, John Whittaker. John spent almost all his career at the NHM in London, so it was fitting to celebrate his life there, surrounded by his colleagues, friends and family.
It's quite rare to get a #Holocene #diatom sample that appears to contain only one species, but this borehole sample, obtained during ground works in southeast England, seems to only contain #Diploneis didyma! It's a marine-brackish mud-loving diatom, often associated with mudflat settings 🔬🔬😍👍
April 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
It's quite rare to get a #Holocene #diatom sample that appears to contain only one species, but this borehole sample, obtained during ground works in southeast England, seems to only contain #Diploneis didyma! It's a marine-brackish mud-loving diatom, often associated with mudflat settings 🔬🔬😍👍
@walternewton.bsky.social has managed to capture all the #morphological details needed when attempting to convert the pollen/diatom into a pixilated image. I am blown away by the creativity he has applied, which means I have some awesome publicity material! #pollen or #diatom stickers anyone?!?! 😍🔬😀
March 21, 2025 at 10:08 AM
@walternewton.bsky.social has managed to capture all the #morphological details needed when attempting to convert the pollen/diatom into a pixilated image. I am blown away by the creativity he has applied, which means I have some awesome publicity material! #pollen or #diatom stickers anyone?!?! 😍🔬😀
Over the last few wks I've had so much fun working with @walternewton.bsky.social, who is a graphic artist specialising in pixel-based illustrations! He has managed to convert my geeky obsession with #pollen and #diatoms, to create bespoke illustrations for PERCS publicity purposes!
March 21, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Over the last few wks I've had so much fun working with @walternewton.bsky.social, who is a graphic artist specialising in pixel-based illustrations! He has managed to convert my geeky obsession with #pollen and #diatoms, to create bespoke illustrations for PERCS publicity purposes!
Heading home after three days in Oxford attending the @oxradiocarbon.bsky.social workshop in #radiocarbon dating and #Bayesian analysis! Such an amazing place, fab ppl and the amount of work that goes into RC dating is mind blowing! Especially appreciated the age-depth modelling session. Thank you!!
March 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Heading home after three days in Oxford attending the @oxradiocarbon.bsky.social workshop in #radiocarbon dating and #Bayesian analysis! Such an amazing place, fab ppl and the amount of work that goes into RC dating is mind blowing! Especially appreciated the age-depth modelling session. Thank you!!
A que for my #palaeo friends out there! I regularly see #chrysophyte #cysts in #Holocene #diatom samples. Often clear morphological variation, from smooth to spiky forms, spherical to elongated etc. Is there any #palaeoenvironmental info that can be obtained from different species of these beauties?
March 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A que for my #palaeo friends out there! I regularly see #chrysophyte #cysts in #Holocene #diatom samples. Often clear morphological variation, from smooth to spiky forms, spherical to elongated etc. Is there any #palaeoenvironmental info that can be obtained from different species of these beauties?
Oh and last one for today! Prior to going freelance I worked @nhm-london.bsky.social for ten years! One particular highlight was meeting David #Attenborough and having a lovely conversation about #micropalaeontology and #microfossils. The man is a walking natural history encyclopaedia!
February 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Oh and last one for today! Prior to going freelance I worked @nhm-london.bsky.social for ten years! One particular highlight was meeting David #Attenborough and having a lovely conversation about #micropalaeontology and #microfossils. The man is a walking natural history encyclopaedia!
I did a little study of microfossils in my garden a few years ago, and amazingly these #testate amoebae were found in an old metal bucket full of sludge!
February 28, 2025 at 9:25 AM
I did a little study of microfossils in my garden a few years ago, and amazingly these #testate amoebae were found in an old metal bucket full of sludge!
Another microfossil i often encountered on my microscope slides are #testateamoebae, small single celled organisms that are often encountered in wetland settings, with different species often associated with wetter or drier conditions.
February 28, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Another microfossil i often encountered on my microscope slides are #testateamoebae, small single celled organisms that are often encountered in wetland settings, with different species often associated with wetter or drier conditions.
when encountered in borehole sequences of a known (e.g. #Holocene) age, it often implies some level of erosion, reworking and the subsequent introduction of older material into your depositional setting. It can certainly confuse the story (e.g. are the pollen/diatoms therefore reworked too?)
February 28, 2025 at 9:20 AM
when encountered in borehole sequences of a known (e.g. #Holocene) age, it often implies some level of erosion, reworking and the subsequent introduction of older material into your depositional setting. It can certainly confuse the story (e.g. are the pollen/diatoms therefore reworked too?)
One of the great things about #microscopy is the variety of other micro-critters you encounter on your slides, which often are just as important in your #geoarchaeological story. One few favourite are #dinoflagellate cysts which are marine #microfossils most often associated with bedrock deposits
February 28, 2025 at 9:20 AM
One of the great things about #microscopy is the variety of other micro-critters you encounter on your slides, which often are just as important in your #geoarchaeological story. One few favourite are #dinoflagellate cysts which are marine #microfossils most often associated with bedrock deposits
When not staring down my #microscope, I also love to do a bit of painting. Although I'm most often found copying other people's works, rather than having any actual imagination to create my own! #picasso. And with two kids, I haven't picked up the brushes in far too long 😆
February 28, 2025 at 9:10 AM
When not staring down my #microscope, I also love to do a bit of painting. Although I'm most often found copying other people's works, rather than having any actual imagination to create my own! #picasso. And with two kids, I haven't picked up the brushes in far too long 😆
I am a #micropalaeontologist, who specialises in the study of #pollen and #diatoms in sedimentary archives. My main focus is on how they can contribute to #geoarchaeology, particularly #Holocene contexts
February 28, 2025 at 9:07 AM
I am a #micropalaeontologist, who specialises in the study of #pollen and #diatoms in sedimentary archives. My main focus is on how they can contribute to #geoarchaeology, particularly #Holocene contexts
Sitting on the shingle beach at #EastWittering summer hols '22, my then 7yo comes over and asks:
'Daddy, is this a microfossil?'.
ID then confirmed by micropalaeo colleague Mike Simmons. How she found a fossil #foraminifera #Nummulites on the shingle is beyond me! Future #micropaleontologist!
'Daddy, is this a microfossil?'.
ID then confirmed by micropalaeo colleague Mike Simmons. How she found a fossil #foraminifera #Nummulites on the shingle is beyond me! Future #micropaleontologist!
February 28, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Sitting on the shingle beach at #EastWittering summer hols '22, my then 7yo comes over and asks:
'Daddy, is this a microfossil?'.
ID then confirmed by micropalaeo colleague Mike Simmons. How she found a fossil #foraminifera #Nummulites on the shingle is beyond me! Future #micropaleontologist!
'Daddy, is this a microfossil?'.
ID then confirmed by micropalaeo colleague Mike Simmons. How she found a fossil #foraminifera #Nummulites on the shingle is beyond me! Future #micropaleontologist!
Sharing a few old favourite posts from X.
Its not common to encounter a #diatom sample in which the assemblage is almost wholly dominated by a single species. Behold my personal favourite, #Diploneis interrupta! A marine-brackish aerophile, common in the supratidal zone around Mean High Water. 😁😊🔬
Its not common to encounter a #diatom sample in which the assemblage is almost wholly dominated by a single species. Behold my personal favourite, #Diploneis interrupta! A marine-brackish aerophile, common in the supratidal zone around Mean High Water. 😁😊🔬
February 28, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Sharing a few old favourite posts from X.
Its not common to encounter a #diatom sample in which the assemblage is almost wholly dominated by a single species. Behold my personal favourite, #Diploneis interrupta! A marine-brackish aerophile, common in the supratidal zone around Mean High Water. 😁😊🔬
Its not common to encounter a #diatom sample in which the assemblage is almost wholly dominated by a single species. Behold my personal favourite, #Diploneis interrupta! A marine-brackish aerophile, common in the supratidal zone around Mean High Water. 😁😊🔬
Hello Bluesky! I have finally made it! Tom here, a fan of all things #diatoms #pollen #palynology, specialising in #geoarchaeology. And what better way to start a Friday than with a lovely pic of some diatoms collected from a UK #holocene core sequence undergoing #environemntal assessments 🔬😀
February 28, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Hello Bluesky! I have finally made it! Tom here, a fan of all things #diatoms #pollen #palynology, specialising in #geoarchaeology. And what better way to start a Friday than with a lovely pic of some diatoms collected from a UK #holocene core sequence undergoing #environemntal assessments 🔬😀