"But it exposed how the system works: extract specialist knowledge at low cost and mostly without giving credit, repackage it into global claims and call it collaboration. I declined." @darmenteras.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/d41...

New manuscript out today in @ecol-evol.bsky.social, led by my grad student Anais. We collated data from thousands of recent animal pop-gen studies to test 3 simple hypotheses: does genomic (1) diversity decrease (yes), (2) differentiation increase (yes), both with increased IUCN-endangerment?

In an inaugural lecture, newly-minted professors often talk about their journey. But our co-director @cillaw.bsky.social used hers to challenge us to reimagine who we are as New Zealanders, and how that relates to the work we do as researchers and scientists → www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPcK... 🧪 🧵

Excited to share our new paper on genetic rescue in the Pacific pocket mouse! To conserve this endangered species, we sought to understand whether small populations at risk of outbreeding depression are better managed in isolation or with gene flow. @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

SLiM 5: Eco-evolutionary simulations across multiple chromosomes and full genomes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.07.669155v1

Recognised as a changemaker, our Director, Professor Amanda Black opens a brand-new series from the Nature podcast team — and how science, Indigenous knowledge, and leadership can shape the future of our ecosystems. 🎧 Listen now: zurl.co/aV3mu

“The census is about so much more than counting people. It is fundamentally about making people count.” — Professor Tahu Kukutai.

A new paper in The Lancet Microbe lays the groundwork for a global science-policy body to tackle pandemic threats — modeled after the IPCC for climate change 🧪🧵

We're looking for a new media advisor who's keen to help us provide essential plain-langauge context for reporters whenever science is in the headlines. More info and apply here: www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/06/26/w...

My latest for @science.org looks into Colossal's claim that the plan to "resurrect" moa is "completely a Māori initiative" with Ngāi Tahu research centre, Te Tira Whakamātaki @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

Applications for the UC / Creative NZ Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence positions for 2026 have opened today. Ōtautahi based, $84500pa pro rata across 2 x 6 month positions, closes 3 August. Please share with your writerly friends. jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/jobdetails/a...

Finally, someone reported it - thanks Māni Dunlop 🙌 “The final number of submissions for this iteration is yet to be confirmed, but Te Ao Māori News understands it could exceed 150,000.” Submissions on the RSB are the second highest on a NZ bill - ever - making the minimising even more alarming.

Also for @nzgeo.bsky.social Bill Morris wrote this story about kōura and their freshwater homes - images for this and Kate's story on red-billed gulls by @depth-nz.bsky.social www.nzgeo.com/stories/worl...

We attempt artificial insemination in #kakapo mainly to maintain genetic diversity. A new study describes how in 2019, with a team of German experts from @jlugiessen.bsky.social, we were successful for the first time in a decade. #conservation #parrots dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

🚀 En route to #ICCB2025! Excited to be part of Symposium 122: "Applying Genomics to Biodiversity Conservation" 📅 Wednesday, June 18 | 🕑 2:00 PM | 📍 Room M9 Joining forces with Carolyn Hogg, Christina Hwilson & Laura Bertola. See you there! #ConservationGenomics #ConsGen

💯 this and this from @peterkdearden.bsky.social: "If you don’t want to spend millions of dollars managing the last of a species- don’t destroy their habitat for a quick buck."

If you're in Torino on Monday come along to @isi.it to hear @mluczak.bsky.social and @cillaw.bsky.social speak about how we're using complex systems research as a pathway toward more inclusive, just and resilient futures → www.isi.it/seminars/202...

We are offering 2 AOC Student Travel Grants of $700 each to #AoNZ postgrads presenting research at the AOC2025 aoc.org.au, Perth, 18-20 Nov. Grant details available at www.birdsnz.org.nz/awards-and-p.... Applications close 20 June, so get in quick! #NZBirds #ornithology 🪶

My latest @forbes.com article is a slightly different topic for me, but one that I'm very invested in 🙂 I hope you enjoy it #nz 🧪👩‍🔬

Believe it or not, Littorina 🐚 not only have the SNPs and inversions we talk about all the time, but also indels! 🧬 For his PhD, Samuel Perini analysed them and asked whether they could be used as markers just like SNPs. The answer is... in the paper. #Evolution #Genomics #Snails

“The bill may very well open the door for corporations to force Māori to pay for their own exploitation and the erasure of their Indigenous rights and lands.” — Ryan Ward.

My latest for @science.org on NZ's "shuffling of deck chairs" science and innovation budget, with @nzscientists.bsky.social et al and excellent editing by @mattbwarren.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

Pangenomes are not just for humans 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧, livestock 🐮🐷, and crops 🌾🌱 --- highlight yours by adding it below! #biodiversity #genomics onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

I've never seen "running government like a business is bad, actually" illustrated as plainly and clearly as this:

Indigidata is less than three weeks away! This week-long workshop founded by Krystal Tsosie and Matt Anderson is focusing on AI and Indigenous health with hands-on applications of machine learning this year. Keep up with us as we’ll be posting about what goes on there! indigidata.org

*drum roll* Introducing Data for Indigenous Implementations, Interventions, & Innovation (D4I) project! We're an Indigenous-led team building a Tribal Data Repository (TDR) & policies for Tribal Nations grounded in Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles. Meet some of our team & learn more d4itdr.org

Big thanks to @grrlscientist.bsky.social for featuring our work in Forbes magazine! tinyurl.com/h8yj5cdf The piece covers our recent study on time-lagged genetic diversity loss in the critically endangered regent honeyeater, published last week in @royalsocietypublishing.org tinyurl.com/44m3b522

📢 HPRC Release 2 is here! Now with phased genomes from 200+ individuals, a 5x increase from Release 1. Explore sequencing data, assemblies, annotations & alignments in our interactive data explorer ⬇️: humanpangenome.org/hprc-data-re...

New story on the Avian Hybrids blog! A pangenomic perspective of the House Finch uncovers a large inversion avianhybrids.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/a... Based on the PNAS study by Bohao Fang and Scott Edwards | #ornithology

New Zealand already tracks far below the OECD average when it comes to investing in research and development - now the goal to raise R&D investment to 2% of GDP has been scrapped newsroom.co.nz/2025/04/24/n...

Extinct-In-The-Wild Bird Species Is Breeding On A New Island Home "The Guam kingfisher was extinct in the wild for almost 40 years but this species was recently released into the wild where it is now breeding." by @grrlscientist.bsky.social #conservation #SciComm🧪 www.forbes.com/sites/grrlsc...

It’s a difficult time right now in NZ and globally. Our work, and how we do it, matters.

Gender Minorities Aotearoa has a great section of resources under the "information" tab on website menu (a reminder for anyone who, for example, is having chats with whānau & are asked for sources/info) genderminorities.com If you have capacity to, donation will be appreciated 😊

Excited to share our new paper on genetic differentiation in Atlantic silversides! We investigated how genome structure influences adaptation under varying levels of gene flow using a species-specific reference genome and multiple recombination maps. Read on for insights! doi.org/10.1093/molb... 1/7

Critically threatened Whenua Hou diving petrel have been moved to a new site to help secure their future, as sea level rise is rapidly claiming their last remaining habitat. The hand-reared chicks were moved to a predator-free location within the species’ historic range. #ConservationOptimism

🦒🧬 New preprint🦒🧬 We investigated the degree of admixture, genetic diversity and inbreeding in ex situ giraffes using WGS data from the famous Marius, 12 zoo giraffes, and a data set from 71 wild giraffes. #ConsGen #PopGen #Genomics #Giraffes #Marius www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Ngururrpa Rangers working in WA’s Great Sandy Desert have discovered a population of up to 50 night parrots and a night parrot egg, the second ever to be collected. Scientists will use the unfertilised egg to understand more about the bird's breeding patterns. #ConservationOptimism #EarthOptimism

A new book co-authored by scholars, practitioners, and students champions a centuries-old vision for the future of marine conservation. Includes content from Dr. Andrea Reid; she leads UBC's Centre for Indigenous Fisheries. sustainability.stanford.edu/news/transfo... via @stanforddoerr.bsky.social

The line between applying de-ex tech to save endangered species is not straight; it's not even a line. Rather, it's a multifaceted network that must incl diverse perspectives and knowledges to address the myriad of issues it raises, esp here in Aotearoa New Zealand. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

A project 4 years in the making! 7 years if you count the pilot phase. Names of South Africa's frogs and reptiles finally published in all 11 official languages. This is herpetology meets science communication and environmental justice. 🇿🇦 🐸 🐊 🐍 🐢 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

In just over two weeks I’ll be launching my book on the Covid response. This was my most challenging book project by far, and even then I’ve just scratched the surface. If you are in Wellington on April 29 come along to hear me talk about it with Susie Ferguson.

Is the #DireWolf🐺 a step towards saving endangered species in Aotearoa New Zealand? Come to our free talk at 6pm TONIGHT to find out. #Tūranga @christchurchlib.bsky.social No bookings required. For a sneak peek 👀 my expert reaction 🔽 @smcnz.bsky.social www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC25...

💬 “While we’ve made significant progress, there is still much more to learn from one another." A positive #research #culture - supportive of difference and diversity - is essential for producing great #science. But how do we foster and maintain that? @ukri.org Read more here:

We're in the final days to nominate a piece of journalism for a golden tardigrade: www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/02/21/c...

Genomic Erosion Through the Lens of Comparative Genomics www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... from @hernmoral.bsky.social and colleagues

🙌 @drannamatheson.bsky.social 🙌

Reminder! Abstracts due Apr 7 for🧬GSA’s 2025 conference🧬 The conference will be at Waipapa Taumata Rau - The University of Auckland in Aotearoa - New Zealand 🥝 from 7-10 July 2025. 🚩Important dates Abstracts due- Apr 7 Early bird registration ends- May 11 www.gsa-2025.com @geneticsaus.bsky.social

Wanna come work with me? We're advertising a fixed term Lecturer in Animal Behaviour at Waikato. We're especially keen on someone who works on birds, reptiles, bats etc. Let me know if you have questions! www.seek.co.nz/job/83279795...

Is the future in our genes? To find out, join Jack Heinemann and me for the Speaker Series at Tūranga library in Ōtautahi | Christchurch on Thu 10 Apr at 6pm 🧬@christchurchlib.bsky.social bit.ly/3EcJuK9 1/2

Very lucky to be spending a few days on Rangihaute | Rangiauria | Pitt Island with my eldest daughter & colleague @testeeves.bsky.social sharing our love of science with the Pitt Island school tamariki 1/3