Hey y’all! Been very hectic lately in my life, haven’t been able to read as much as I hoped so no book of the month.

(Belated) Book of the Month: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (spoiler free!) I adore the Hunger Games serious for a myriad of reasons, but this is a prime example of why. I believe it is a highly important work of fiction in today’s world. Especially America. /1

SAPS! Had an absolutely wonderful weekend at Edinburgh for the FIRST EVER SAPS CONFERENCE!!! Such an honour to be a part of what will no doubt be an essential event for undergraduate students interested in palaeontology.

February’s Book of the Month: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle This is a revolutionary book that ended up giving us the franchise Jurassic Park. Conan-Doyle’s writing is impeccable and his story telling is iconic. I was captivated by every moment and immediately invested in the characters/1

Book of the Month: The Dinosaurs Rediscovered by Michael J Benton This book is an excellent introduction to those who are looking to learn about how we make new discoveries in the field of dinosaur based palaeontology. It’s good for people new to the field and is written to be understood by /1

If you’re American please get in contact with your state representatives and whoever in government you can! This is beyond ridiculous

Decided to play Metazooa and guessed it in 7 guesses. It’s a really fun game to play to pass some time and test yourself on your knowledge of relationships between taxa!

Just realised, Trump’s new definition of female and male (which is NOT the scientific distinction between them) makes him technically the first female president… This government isn’t something to take lightly but it is laughable

I just spotted that there will be 4 FREE Pride in Nature guided tours at the University of Cambridge's Museum of Zoology during LGBTQ+ History Month: Sat 1, Sat 8, Sat 15, & Sun 23 Feb . . . 🐧🌈🦒 #queer #PrideInSTEM #LGBTHM #LGBTQHM @zoologymuseum.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pride-in-n...

This is *so* cool on how early, long-tailed pterosaurs stabilised their tails in flight. I love that this evidence has been sitting in the fossils all along, there just hadn't been the technology to see if until now.

THIS!!! Please read, even if you think a book is old and you’re “late”. This is how classics survive, this is how new writers learn, and they are the foundation of most modern media. The book isn’t too old, it’s surviving. You aren’t late, you’re growing.

Book of the Month: An Immense World by Ed Yong It covers the astonishing array of senses that exist and their intricacies. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to expand their view of the world. Every biologist, zoologist and philosopher should read this book. 1

I read a lot. I want others to explore reading too. I’m starting a “Book of the Month” that I’ll post at the end of each month. It will be a book I have read that month, and have a bit of information so you can decide if it’s of interest. Let me know if you decide to read any of them!

Happy Holidays y’all! Enjoy some REALLY small fossils that I got to look at and photograph. Some photos were from me and some were from @ethanoclinford.bsky.social

40,000-year-old plankton under a scanning electron microscope 🔬 Micro sample: Eocene, Oamuru, New Zealand (diatoms, radiolarians, sponge spicules).

Mauro L. Triques and Martin L. Christoffersen (2024) Arguments for interpreting the vertebrate functional neck as an exaptation for terrestriality Lethaia 57(4): doi: doi.org/10.18261/let... www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261...

Heude, E., Dutel, H., Sanchez-Garrido, F. et al. Co-option of neck muscles supported the vertebrate water-to-land transition. Nat Commun 15, 10564 (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Here’s a cheetah and dog duo who deserve the world!

Happy International Cheetah Day 🐆 These are my joint favourite animal! Here’s a string of photos and a link to help with their conservation (they are rapidly going extinct 😭): cheetah.org

Since it's International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I also wanted to share the Lightyear Foundation’s amazing & inspiring work to give disabled children access to #stem www.lightyearfoundation.org #DisabledinSTEM

Here’s a starter pack for early career palaeontologists. Let me know if I’ve missed you, and I’ll create a second! go.bsky.app/EGhaGWk

*Cries in Second Year Undergrad*

Charcoal-ified pinecone 🔥🪵

This is very important for sign language users in STEM and making it more accessible. This post is aimed at ASL and has links to other sign languages that have a wider STEM based vocabulary.

This is amazing 💚 #GeologyRocks

Audiobooks count as reading. Audiobooks count as reading. Audiobooks count as reading. Audiobooks count as reading. Audiobooks count as reading. Audiobooks count as reading. Audiobooks count as reading.

Fibular reduction and the evolution of theropod locomotion.🧪⚒️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Hello Portland! Had the pleasure to make a log of the carbonate geology here. The mix of freezing winder air and warm sunshine definitely made it more interesting lol 💙

My field of study is palaeo-biomechanics! I have always been curious about the animals around us, particularly dinosaurs. It wasn’t until recently I realised I’m deeply fascinated by how animals move. Locomotion is weird and endlessly interesting. And what about extinct animals? How did they move?

Sharks after every mass extinction

November 18 is the International Day of LGBQTIA+ People in STEM! Today more than ever we want to stress the importance of communities, building connections, and raising each other up. Let's keep leaving our mark for the betterment of us all! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 #QueerinSTEM prideinstem.org/lgbtstemday/

Dinosaur toe beans

I cannot spell desiccation

(02/10/2024) Went to a fantastic talk by Tim Peake tonight and picked up a signed copy of his book!

(20/09/2024) Field mapping in Lulworth Cove! Got to enjoy the beautiful Lulworth Crumple while having lunch. Me, my boyfriend and our friends had so much fun today 💙

(19/09/2024) Heck of day mapping Durdle Door, I’ll be doing dip and strike directions in my sleep at this rate lol 💙

(18/09/2024) Had a very strenuous trip at Lulworth Cove but it was oh so worth it! I learned many valuable field skills and saw many brilliant views 💙

(17/09/2024) Lyme Regis!!! The home of Mary Anning, an amazing influential palaeontologist who paved the way for women in the field. The discovery of the Ichthyosaur, the Ammonite Pavement and the Lyme Regis Museum. Spent such a fun day here that I will always remember 💙

(16/09/2024) Got the opportunity to fossil hunt in Charmouth! The museum and beach were both amazing 💙

(14/09/2024) Dorchester visit!

(12/05/2024) Went to Comic Con Portsmouth yesterday! Had a lot of fun, spent a little money, and met Doctor Who actor Sofie Aldred!

(03/05/2024) University field trip! Saw some dinosaur footprints, 6,000 year old nuts and lots of sunshine!

(12/03/2024) Attending Dr. Roy Smith’s talk on Kem Kem pterosaurs. Gonna miss my tutorial, sorry Nizar

(18/02/2024) Yaverland fossil trip 🪨🔨

(13/02/2024) Diorite thin section from Arbyllshire 🔬💎

(17/01/2024) Thank you Dr Matt Lamanna and Nizar Ibrahim for the talk today at Portsmouth uni! I continue to be inspired by Southern Hemisphere dinosaurs and their wackiness!