Nice reporting on our recent paper by Ryan Truscott

Honored & excited to join the list of @aaas.org fellows, which includes many of my science heroes. Big shout out to the many outstanding new fellows, including my colleagues at @Rice. www.aaas.org/news/aaas-we...

Some short term benefits but long term harm. Lemurs in these areas look underweight to me. No epiphytes that frogs and other critters rely on or mistletoes that feed and provide shelter to many birds and threatened lemurs.

If the strawberry guava plant feeds endangered wild lemurs of Madagascar, but is ecologically invasive and harmful... how to make decisions about what to do? Research by @amydunham.bsky.social, scicomm by @rachelnuwer.bsky.social #lemurs #primates #anthropology #plants #invasiveplants #conservation

🌿 Postdoc opportunity in plant evolutionary ecology/genetics! My lab in the Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to start Fall 2026. We study plant adaptation, using weeds as model systems. #Postdoc #EcoEvo Pls RT!

Strawberry guava is one of the top 100 most problematic invasive species worldwide. In the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar we observed that it can arrest native forest succession causing long term ecological harm. But it also feeds endangered lemurs creating a challenging conservation problem.

This amazing lemur pic was taken by Natalie Phelps

Our work with Dr Matt McCary and team was featured in NYTimes! www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/s...

Exciting announcement! My new department is launching a postdoc fellowship in quantitative biology. Fellows will be co-advised by two Bio faculty, one that is quant focused (not me) and one that is not (me???). I would love to co-sponsor a postdoc and build a collaboration so please reach out!

It's also incredibly difficult and expensive to eradicate, adding a very real financial consideration to any conversation efforts.

The stunted tree growth prevents regeneration of the rainforest after deforestation, even decades after deforestation has stopped. But the plant isn't hated - its straight stalks (bottom left) make for good building materials, and its fruits (bottom right) attract beloved lemurs.

But strawberry guava can only grow in disturbed (deforested) parts of the rainforest. Once it's established, this study found it causes: decreased soil quality changed arthropod populations stunted tree growth

Lemurs, the most well-known Madagascar animal, eat the strawberry guava fruit. (Humans do too!) So the plant can have a very positive association - lemurs tend to be found around its groves.

Invasive strawberry guava is a favorite food of endangered Madagascar lemurs. It also prevents native trees from growing past the seedling stage, halting the regeneration process after deforestation. Study led by Amy Dunham and Matt McCary. news.rice.edu/news/2026/st...

Texas ground update.

Ahead of International #ChameleonDay here is a pic of a female Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii) looking like a lichen covered leaf

Environmental Science students @RiceUniversity learn a little bit about beekeeping during last class of the semester 🐝🐝

Rice University Ecology & Evolutionary Biology grad students enjoying a #PaintYourPhD workshop. #sciart

Our 1st Biodiversity Science-Policy 'starter pack' is now full (150 accounts). Access at: go.bsky.app/LjV86zg There's a 2nd starter pack already filling up: go.bsky.app/GzM8eok NB: these are mainly IPBES authors & stakeholders regularly engaged with IPBES work. Please follow & share widely! 🌍🧪

Two years in a row our Purple Martins have made first appearances on Valentines Day ❤️❤️❤️🐦 (Houston)

A White-bellied Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus) from near Ranomafana, Madagascar. Also called the Starry Night Frog ❤️ A species I had hoped to see on my visit, and I saw exactly one. This one. #herps #NaturePhotography #FrogFriday

We're relieved to hear from our friends at Centre ValBio that the #fire in Ranomafana National Park is finally out. Heavy rainfall finally came after months, ending an unseasonably long dry spell, and the community worked tirelessly each day to stop the fires from spreading.

Congratulations to Kory Evans @sternarchella.bsky.social, winner of this year’s @J_Exp_Biol sponsored Carl Gans Award at #SICB2025. His #biomechanics research examines the role of modularity in the evolution of the #fish skull. Don't miss his talk: 7 Jan at 13:30 in Marquis D Please repost

New paper led by former group member Jadelys Tonos! Simulations/empirical data reveal just a few trees bearing the most fruit in the landscape are critical for driving patterns of lemur movement & seed dispersal 🐒🥭🌱https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/1365-2435.14702

JOB OFFER: Postdoctoral researcher on biodiversity modelling and scenario development @ipbes.bsky.social @biodiversaplus.bsky.social @creaf.cat creaf.factorialhr.com/job_posting/...

What happens to tropical plants when large seed-dispersing animals disappear? 🌱🌳 New study, led by former research grp member, Dr.JT Lamperty, shows that even small-seeded plants can be affected by defaunation (1/5) 🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.1111/mec.17620

👇👇

An important review - The ecology of plant extinctions - "Recent warm-edge extirpations demonstrate the growing impact of anthropogenic climate change & show that predictions of massive climate-driven extinctions later this century are plausible" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌾🌎🧪🌐

The theme of our symposium is #Primates and Regenerating Forests: Futures in #Restoration. If you or someone in your network has research they'd like to share on this topic, send me a message so we can get you involved in this work. Hope to see you in Tana! 🐒🦍🦧🇲🇬 @ips-primatenews.bsky.social

That's one way to sum up my PhD research lol Thanks to Rice undergraduate Nayounghee Tuetkin for writing and designing a cool story about my work in Madagascar. Check out her work and the features from other writers in the new edition of Rice's Catalyst journal! ricecatalyst.com/catalyst-vol...

I've been here a while but now that it's getting busy I should reintroduce myself! I'm an ecologist & conservation biologist interested in restoring ecological interactions and supporting community-led stewardship 🌱🐒 I am currently privileged to work in Madagascar 🇲🇬 with incredible local partners.

Just moved over from twitter give me a follow if you want to see cool CT scans of fishes!

NSF makes you say who you got conflicts (coauthored) with. We (really just Jordan Matelsky) just built you a tool for that. Literally one click: bib.experiments.kordinglab.com/nsf-coa

UCSB EEMB is *thrilled* to be hiring a Terrestrial Global Change Biologist (asst prof level). Please apply by 1 Nov. I can't wait to welcome a new colleague into our vibrant and growing department! Please share widely! #unicornjob🦄 recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02500

We're hiring: Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology. Come join us: Excellent and supportive colleagues at a private university with a beautiful campus and great students! please RT #RiceEEB #EEBjobs #phdchat #facultyjobs apply.interfolio.com/152527

This is a dream job y’all 👇

RiceU is hiring Assistant Prof in Evolution in the Anthropocene! Great place to work, excellent students & wonderful colleagues. I'm search chair. Feel free to email/DM me with questions. Spread the word! apply.interfolio.com/152527

This was a really exciting find! “Regular” indirect genetic effects become genotype dependent when we measure flies again the next day ⏳

We are looking for a new Data Editor AmNat @asn-amnat.bsky.social to start in 2024. In 2021, we pioneered the use of a data editor to greatly improve the quality of data repositories for all published papers. More details are here: amnat.org/announcements/… Please repost to help spread the word

As bluesky grows, it feels to me like we are not seeing many early-career researchers or academics of colour. Are we being intentional about elevating underrepresented and diverse voices? Can we grow a culture of listening and openness? I worry we fall into old habits from previous wastelands...

I'm Kelly Zamudio, Professor of Integrative Biology at UT Austin. I study pop gen and evolution of reptiles and amphibians, and the dynamics of wildlife diseases. I am president of @sse-evolution.bsky.social. I like cooking, baking, traveling. I own and love a pet longhorn steer named Polly.

We are hiring TWO #tenuretrack positions in the #Biology Dept. @ULLafayette in Ecology or Evolutionary Biology, broadly defined. Appointments at the Asst. Prof. level, and part of at least four hires being planned for Fall 2024. louisiana.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Using dead spiders for grabbing things? Why not. Work on zombie spider robots (from my alma mater Rice University) received an IgNobel prize 🧪🥳 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....