This is where I was at today. They even played the Jurassic Park theme tune. 🦖 #CrystalPalacePark

Happy to see some love for graptolites! #Graptolife

Today's lunch spot is a slight upgrade from eating at my desk. (Watching c. 20,000 guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, gulls etc. at RSPB South Stack with @gizz47.bsky.social.)

Here's @markwitton.bsky.social mobbed by fans at #DinosaurHighway2026. Photo courtesy of the lovely @gizz47.bsky.social.

One of the saddest things about the spread of AI imagery is that so many people now seem to assume that a human being couldn't possibly create something cool. They think that now there's an 'easy' way to do 'art', that everyone is doing that, and real artists somehow no longer exist. Bizarre.

Went to the unveiling of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History's new palaeo exhibits this evening with @gizz47.bsky.social. Excellent new displays of British dinosaur material, well worth checking out even if you've visited umpteen times before.

Was amazed to find a Harris hawk visiting the garden this morning, presumably a lost pet. It hung around for 20 minutes or so, making low-energy efforts at the neighbour's quail pen. No interest in our chickens.

Kolby making friends at the polling station. Don't forget to vote, folks! #DogsAtPollingStations #DemocracyDog 🐶

A timeline of every animal ever sent into space 🧪

This made national news yesterday but I figure it's worth sharing to ensure maximum exposure. Time to take down our bird tables, folks: they're spreading diseases that are decimating bird populations. www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Magpies have been secretly building a nest in the neighbour's tree. Can you spot it? It's so well disguised.

Rave worm! What a gorgeous display this polychaete worm’s setae is giving under UV light! #marineplankton 🦑

Fantastic news in the UK today - the government has apparently ditched its plan to force creatives to 'opt out' if they don't want AI companies training on their life's work. www.thetimes.com/uk/technolog... 🧵 1/4

News on #SVPCA, a (mostly) UK-based annual meeting devoted to vertebrate palaeontology. Things have been quiet about the meeting for the last 18 months, but a team of us are working to pick up where we left off. More details to follow ASAP, hopefully very soon. #FossilFriday #paleontology #fossil

Next time you doubt you are the right person for a job, remember: Chupa Chups make toothpaste.

In which I provide a few thoughts on the new Spinosaurus species, S. mirabilis. www.newscientist.com/article/2516... I also stressed the deep connections between one of the study authors - Nathan Myhrvold - and Geoffrey Epstein to New Scientist. They didn't mention it, neither has anyone else.

And so begins the countdown to the frightnerman, doomsage, horrormeister. Thanks to @gizz47.bsky.social for this evening of terror, fear and blood. Blood? Blood. Crimson, copper-smelling blood. His blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. And bits of sick.

The real secret of how work gets done around here: the pets guide our fingers when using computers. The truth, finally, is out. With @gizz47.bsky.social

The best type of tree! #PigeonSky 🕊️

There's a Hellraiser mite!!

The world feels rough right now So please enjoy this shrimp, filmed off Cozumel, Mexico. It may be a larval reef shrimp, but we don’t know what species or how long it lives or what it eats. The world is still full of wonder and beauty and mystery. 🎥 @pedrovalenciam scuba diver on Insta

Brundle's Christmas present came early. With @gizz47.bsky.social.

New #paleoart for #FossilFriday: the giant Meganeuropsis hawks Dunbaria in Early Permian Kansas, reaching to trap it with long, spiny legs. This image is set at the coast to reflect the marine occurrences of Meganeuropsis and Dunbaria fossils - not all Carbo-Permian insects lived in swamps! #sciart

Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work. Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/

The geology department at the University of Leicester, where myself and countless others did our palaeontology PhDs, is at serious risk of closure Please show your support by signing the below! c.org/KtYyZB8dHk

Have you completed or commissioned a piece of palaeoart in the last year? Nominations are now open for The Marsh Palaeoart Award! 🎨🦕🌿🐌🐟🎨 You can self-nominate, or nominate an artist you think deserves recognition. Check out our website for more details - palaeosoc.org/grants-prize...

It's been a while since I smacked @deanrlomax.bsky.social in the head, but I managed to catch up with him at #2025SVP #SVP2025. You can't escape, Dean!

Kicking off #2025SVP with a Palaeoart workshop hosted by @markwitton.bsky.social. Smuggled in our #SVPCA mugs for rebellious reasons. 🦕🦖

The scariest part of #October for me has been having my eyeball cut to pieces and sewn back together. So here it is ...in #pumpkin form! Happy #Halloween! 🎃

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL The Altmetric Ghost Donut Yes this is a real thing, not something we cattle-prodded our marketing into making for us. They are a rare sight, but you might have come across them. Here's a thread dedicated just to them. 1/7

Some recent hens. They do look good together like this. 🐔 Friendly reminder that I have a Ko-fi by way of a tip jar, if you enjoy my work and would like to send a little material support. Thank you so much to everyone who contributes. ☺️🥲🙏💙 Link also in profile. ko-fi.com/himmapaan

This little worm is literally a sex machine! This is a male epitoke of a polychaete worm (Myrianida I believe). Let me tell you how it goes down… #marineplankton 🦑

#Tyrannosaurus rex was named 120 years ago today (Oct 4, 1905). If you want to know all there is to know about the world's most iconic #dinosaur, the word is that my book "King Tyrant", published a few months back, is a good start. #fossils #paleontology #paleoart press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

RIP to Jane Goodall, who opened the world's eyes to our closest relatives. (Photo by NatGeo's Hugo Van Lawick)

Today is the day! Wish me luck! #Zebras #Conservation #Endangered #Wildlife #Animals #Race #Charity #Fundraising #Running #Marwell #Zoo

we're on the precipice of a universal antiviral medication, mRNA technology is out here curing cancers every other month, HIV is cureable AND preventable, renewables generate more energy now than fossil fuels worldwide and and more cost-effective, coral reefs are growing back all over the world rn

Do you think Grevy's Zebras are neat? Do you think I can run 10k in a few weeks despite barely training for it? If either of the answers to those questions is yes, then please consider chucking a few quid towards the fundraiser. I might buy you a beer afterwards...if I survive. Cheers!

Some of the eggs laid by Iberian harvester ant queens contain males of another species, the builder harvester ant – and these males father all of the workers in the colony.

I am opposed to AI products and services because of the extra power they require... IN A CLIMATE CRISIS. I am opposed to AI results - texts and illustrations - because they've been created unethically, via theft and non-consensual use of the work of others. Share if you agree.

Heads up for #SVP2025 attendees: I'm running a day-long workshop about UK #paleoart on Nov 11th (the day before the meeting). Essentially a mini-conference, it's a day of talks on UK palaeoart history, conservation and current projects, as well as... 1/3

Just a ‘lil snail larva going about his business. #marineplankton 🦑

The first DinoCon @dinoconuk.bsky.social went off with a bang. A bunch of dinosaur/prehistoric life related talks, stalls and activities to keep the palaeonerd community out of mischief for a weekend. Thanks to everyone for making it enjoyable and hope to see you again next year!

A message from our CEO. Please, donate today: www.bumblebeeconservation.org/give

Good to see criticism of Colossal and their fraudulent "de-extinction" process getting mainstream coverage. New Zealand has some amazing conservation successes but the fight to save its species is not over. Think what that $15 million might have done there, rather than making this Frankenstein bird.

A British council trying to work with wildlife and encourage changes to our behaviour for the betterment of both us and birds? More of this, please. BBC News - 'Pigeons are not vermin, they're very intelligent' www.bbc.com/news/article...

🤘🖤🤘

So AI-generated music is not only all over Spotify, spammers have figured out how to get AI songs onto the profiles of real artists, many of whom are dead. Reason #23723487849 to quit spotify and also a reminder we live in hell www.404media.co/spotify-publ...

@gizz47.bsky.social and I tried our hands at taxidermy today: behold our mice, as displayed on our homeward train. Taxidermy relies so much on knowledge of how animals fit together and, critically, how internal tissues bulk out skin. Lots to reflect on today as goes #paleoart.

UPDATE: Thank you vbloke and the Reddit community 💛

Nightjar surveys have started for the Heathland Birds Survey. We're still in need of help to fill vacant survey areas. Find a site near you: www.bto.org/get-involved...