Francesco Cicconardi
@fcicconardi.bsky.social
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Naturalista & Evolutionary biologist 🦋🐝🐛🐜🪰 @University of Bristol
reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Wood Wide Ants — WWA 🐜
5 days ago
An impressive review on classification and study of
#ants
, taken from an historical perspective 🖥️🧬🐜 includes also loads of insightful sections 👀
#bugsky
#phylogenetics
academic.oup.com/isd/article/...
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Ant systematics: past, present, and future
Abstract. The classification of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has progressed in waves since the first 17 species were described by Linnaeus in the 1758 ed
https://academic.oup.com/isd/article/9/4/11/8248754
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Marta Álvarez-Presas
7 days ago
Happy to share Jialin's first publication. She did a great job exploring the transition to land in animals. Co-supervised by the great Jordi Paps and me and in collaboration with Davide Pisani and
@phil-donoghue.bsky.social
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Highly Detail 3D Butterfly Made with Gaussian Splatting
A new great work by Dany Bittel.
https://share.google/kph5gqxJ5pCJNpgnL
20 days ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Stephen Montgomery
about 1 month ago
Really like this paper, led by
@ficusorganensis.bsky.social
, the supplementary videos aren’t up yet but will post them when I’m back in the office!
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Exceptionally arrogant for sure 😊
share.google/zjLDckGoX3Xt...
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Human exceptionalism is at the root of the ecological crisis, claims evolutionary biologist
In the grand story of evolution, the crowning human distinction is our big brain. But our large heads have been slow to recognize a less admirable trait of Homo sapiens—self-centeredness.
https://share.google/zjLDckGoX3XtSxETQ
about 1 month ago
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New paper out! A nice collaboration. We explore how olfactory brain structures and receptors evolved across this remarkable group, Heliconiini butterflies.
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Evolution of the olfactory system during the radiation of Heliconiini butterflies
Abstract. Sensory system evolution plays a crucial role in shaping species’ interactions with their environment, yet the extent to which olfactory system d
https://academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jeb/voaf114/8263924?searchresult=1
about 1 month ago
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🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
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Olfactory floral mimicry of injured ants mediates the attraction of kleptoparasitic fly pollinators
Mochizuki reports a plant that lures pollinating flies by imitating the scent of ants injured by predators. This study reveals the first known case of ant mimicry in flowers and uncovers previously un...
https://share.google/n3255PCZKqkkInXnf
about 2 months ago
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Finally... Grant proposal submitted!
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Molecular Biology and Evolution
about 2 months ago
Villalobos-Leiva et al. analysed population structure, genetic diversity, and geometric morphometrics of wing shape in Vanessa carye, supporting its status as a migratory species with the longest journey among American butterflies. 🔗
doi.org/10.1093/molb...
#evobio
#molbio
#migration
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Francesco Cicconardi
Tatsuya Amano
2 months ago
Women, non-native English speakers & those form low-income countries are disadvantaged in science but by how much? We found that women with non-English first languages from low-income countries publish up to 70% fewer in English than their counterparts. 1/5
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
#languagebarriers
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#GameOverIsrael
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#GameOverIsrael: European campaign calls to boycott Israel in football
YouTube video by Middle East Eye
https://youtube.com/shorts/opab4d7kkpg?si=q0HUuzpuoolQc8Qe
2 months ago
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Francesco Cicconardi
Emília Santos
2 months ago
Very proud of this extremely collaborative piece:
academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
Here, we show that divergence in visual systems - in response to differences in the light environment - leads to rapid divergence in sexually selected colour traits. Work brilliantly led by Madeleine Carruthers. 🐟👀🎨
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Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish
Abstract. Sensory adaptation is widely hypothesized to drive ecological speciation, yet empirical evidence from natural populations undergoing early stage
https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/42/9/msaf204/8238158
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Science Magazine
2 months ago
A new Science study of ants in Fiji—involving genomic sequencing of over 4000 ant specimens from museum collections—shows that most native species have been in decline since humans first arrived in the archipelago 3000 years ago.
https://scim.ag/489mI2o
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Genomic signatures indicate biodiversity loss in an endemic island ant fauna
Insect populations have declined worldwide, but the extent and drivers of these declines are debated. Most studies rely on field surveys performed in the past century, leaving gaps in our understandin...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads3004?utm_campaign=Science%20Magazine&utm_medium=ownedSocial&utm_source=bluesky
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𝘊𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘱.
2 months ago
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2 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Max Farnworth
2 months ago
Our paper on central complex evolution in Heliconiini butterflies is now available as reviewed preprint at
@elife.bsky.social
🎉🎉. Please check out the helpful and constructive reviews which we are going to address in the next weeks 🤗
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
@ebablab.bsky.social
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Distinct evolutionary trajectories of two integration centres, the central complex and mushroom bodies, across Heliconiini butterflies
https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/107589
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Constraints on chromosome evolution revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas blue butterfly
The genome of the Atlas blue butterfly contains ten times more chromosomes than most butterflies, and more than any other known diploid animal. Wright et al. show that this extraordinary karyotype is ...
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01098-X
2 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Nature Portfolio
2 months ago
Protecting Indigenous territories in areas of the Amazon rainforest with high levels of forest cover may help reduce the number of cases of several diseases in the surrounding areas, according to an analysis in Communications Earth & Environment.
go.nature.com/47z1jPX
🧪
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🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
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'Butterfly' Explores 4,000 Years of Our Fascination with Lepidoptera in Art and Science
A new book forthcoming from Phaidon celebrates our love for these prolific winged things throughout millennia.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/09/butterfly-exploring-the-world-of-lepidoptera-book/
2 months ago
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Boop!
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I Booped a Caterpillar Every Day for 33 Days.
YouTube video by Autumn Parks
https://youtube.com/shorts/hIjWrMS220s?si=Za3wmNDfBoEXxl8h
2 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
2 months ago
More on the ancient foundation of animal development. Coyle & King illustrate how core regulatory modules were present in our pre-animal ancestors. The key was not invention, but recycling & new protein interactions.
#CellBiology
#multicellularity
#protistsOnSky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Francesco Cicconardi
Molecular Biology and Evolution
3 months ago
Red devil spiders from the Canary Islands have a genome half the size of mainland counterparts - Pisarenco,
@jrozasub.bsky.social
et al. show how purifying selection against slightly deleterious DNA and TE insertions is the primary mechanism. 🔗
doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf206
#evobio
#molbio
#TEsky
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How Did Evolution Halve Genome Size During an Oceanic Island Colonization?
Abstract. Red devil spiders of the genus Dysdera colonized the Canary Islands and underwent an extraordinary diversification. Notably, their genomes are ne
https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf206
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Molecular Biology and Evolution
3 months ago
Hines et al. examined the genetics of parallel color pattern acquisition in three bumble bees in Western N. America - in three lineages, color shifts map to the regulatory region of a segmental-fate-determining Hox gene called Abdominal B. 🔗
doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf187
#evobio
#molbio
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Finally good news!
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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This is a great opportunity to learn all about genomics!!!!!
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3 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Joseph Spencer
11 months ago
“Bedazzled Jewels” The
#metalmark
butterflies (Fam.
#Riodinidae
) include many stunning species w/ diverse forms. In this group are the
#Helicopiini
, which are furry & often adorned w/ metallic scales. Here are Elegant
#Jewelmark
,
#Anteros
allectus, & Black-bellied Jewelmark, A. formosus.
#Ecuador
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Francesco Cicconardi
Nature Portfolio
3 months ago
A study in Nature Medicine identifies the Mediterranean diet as a promising approach to mitigate genetically dependent Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias risk by targeting a broad spectrum of metabolic pathways.
go.nature.com/469m6s3
#medsky
🍎📃 🧪
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"#Antisemitism" cuts...
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/25/u...
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$2.4B of Harvard’s canceled research grants, visualized | CNN
As Harvard University and the Trump administration negotiate a funding stalemate, billions of dollars of research grants hang in the balance.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/25/us/harvard-canceled-research-grants-trump-vis
3 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
3 months ago
Love this photo of Monarch Butterflies in Ontario Canada probably Point Peel National that i went to yearly in Sept in my twenties as they gathered to cross Lake erie migrating south waited for the wind to change
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What is the scientific community doing about this genocide?
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How much of Gaza has Israel destroyed?
YouTube video by The Economist
https://youtube.com/shorts/DCQmayWbeY0?si=PVNt9fd-hhhMZK5W
3 months ago
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😲😲😲😲😲
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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reposted by
Francesco Cicconardi
Hannah Thomasy
3 months ago
Evolution has produced an incredible array of ways to be male & female. In some tiny cave-dwelling insect species, the female is the one with a penis. She uses it to hook into the male's vagina-like structure (for up to 70hrs) while "voluminous & probably nutritious semen is passed to the female"🧪🧬🪲
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Probably a Dirphia... From Brazil...
3 months ago
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Francesco Cicconardi
Vicencio Oostra
3 months ago
Goodbye
#eseb2025
@eseb2025.bsky.social
see you next time! Perhaps what stuck most was powerful talk on resilience and survival by Palestinian researcher, play director, and ESEB EUEA awardee May Shehady. Let's not forget, let's not look away. 🇵🇸
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It was fun. It felt like "genomics on heliconiini radiation part 2"
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3 months ago
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If the stars will align...
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3 months ago
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Oh... Me...
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3 months ago
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