Allan McDevitt
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shrewgod.bsky.social
Allan McDevitt
@shrewgod.bsky.social
620 followers 340 following 71 posts

Lecturer in ATU ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช Shrews are my thing but work on all sorts of critters across land and water! Molecular ecologist by trade, doing a lot of eDNA work these days! Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/mcdevittlab/home .. more

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Environmental science 47%
Biology 30%
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shrewgod.bsky.social
Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social ยท Oct 8
1st PhD chapter from @jjackman27.bsky.social on comparing #eDNA filtration methods in a hyper-tidal estuary. Although some methods outperform others, all are generally effective in recovering fish biodiversity, including the passive metaprobe. Paper here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt, Prakash Kashwan

andrewcurry.com
Andrew Curry @andrewcurry.com ยท 3d
In a new study, researchers from @uab.cat claim people have been whaling for almost 5,000 years โ€“ and that the earliest evidence comes from the warm coastal waters of Brazil, not the Arctic. www.science.org/content/arti... @science.org
Worldโ€™s oldest whale harpoons discovered in Brazil
Far from the icy Arctic, ancient South Americans hunted whales using whalebone tools
www.science.org

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

neobiota.pensoft.net
NeoBiota @neobiota.pensoft.net ยท 4d
๐Ÿ€The invasive black #rat (๐˜™๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด) reappeared on World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island.

Using #DNA analysis, this new study examined whether the rats were survivors of the 2019 eradication programme or new arrivals from mainland Australia.
โžก doi.org/10.3897/neob...

#rodent #invasivespecies

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

gregerlarson.bsky.social
Greger Larson @gregerlarson.bsky.social ยท 5d
Starting off 2026 in a highly porcine manner. The story dropped on Jan 1 when a lot of the planet was focussed more on a hangover cure (myself included), than on the latest in human-pig research. Huge congrats to the dozens of amazing scientists and hooray for pigs!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Genomic and morphometric evidence for Austronesian-mediated pig translocation in the Pacific
Several millennia of human-mediated translocation of non-native pig species (genus Sus) to the islands of Wallacea and Oceania have considerably altered local ecosystems. To investigate the timing and...
www.science.org

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

alecbmmoore.bsky.social
Alec BM Moore @alecbmmoore.bsky.social ยท 7d
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

shrewgod.bsky.social
Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social ยท 13d
That's a tasty line-up of PhD projects!!
chrissuthy.bsky.social Chris Sutherland @chrissuthy.bsky.social ยท 14d
We are recruiting several PhD students. If you are interested in conservation conflicts, population ecology, quantitative ecology, or biodiversity, check these projects out (links in the thread, feel free to reach out):

Reposted by Ingolf Kรผhn, Olivier Gimรฉnez, Stephen D. Murphy , and 5 more

chrissuthy.bsky.social
Chris Sutherland @chrissuthy.bsky.social ยท 14d
We are recruiting several PhD students. If you are interested in conservation conflicts, population ecology, quantitative ecology, or biodiversity, check these projects out (links in the thread, feel free to reach out):

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

blancobercial.bsky.social
Leocadio Blanco-Bercial @blancobercial.bsky.social ยท 16d
Our last product of the SCOR WG157 MetaZooGene if out! We run a 10-laboratory intercomparison experiment on for zooplankton metabarcoding. Take home: major patterns hold, but sequencing platform matters, taq matters (a lot), add positive/negative controls...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
MetaZooGene Intercalibration Experiment (MZGโ€ICE): Metabarcoding Marine Zooplankton Diversity of the Global Ocean
DNA metabarcoding of zooplankton biodiversity is used increasingly for monitoring global ocean ecosystems, requiring comparable data from different research laboratories and ocean regions. The MetaZo...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

ecoevoedna.bsky.social
Dr.Kat Stewart @ecoevoedna.bsky.social ยท 22d
๐Ÿ”ฅ Hot off the press: ever wonder if you could get demographic info for natural pops with #eDNA #environmentalDNA? Well wonder no more! First proof of principle for sex-ratios coming to a computer screen near you: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Unlocking Demography: Developing an eDNAโ€Based Toolkit to Measure Sex Ratios From Populations
Demographic information, such as sex ratios, is essential for understanding population dynamics and informing conservation strategies. Yet obtaining sex ratios in natural populations can be challengi....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

marianilab.bsky.social
The Mariani Lab @marianilab.bsky.social ยท 27d
We are hiring!
If you like the #sea and its #fish and are motivated to apply #eDNA methods to make #fisheries more sustainable, then this #postdoc position might be perfect for you:

jobs.ljmu.ac.uk/vacancy/post...

@thefsbi.bsky.social
@bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social
Post-doctoral Research Associate in Marine Environmental DNA (Fixed term) (5297)
jobs.ljmu.ac.uk

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

drwillperry.bsky.social
William Perry @drwillperry.bsky.social ยท 28d
๐Ÿ“ข #PhD opportunity! Interested in #eDNA and protecting our #rivers? We are recruiting a PhD researcher to tackle a very topical challenge: Empowering citizen scientists with an eDNA toolbox to safeguard #freshwater fishes. Deadline: January 16th 2026. #PhDPosition #CardiffUniversity bit.ly/49bl4gO

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

drhaydo.bsky.social
Brian Hayden @drhaydo.bsky.social ยท Dec 2
5 things youโ€™ll learn in my new Stable Isotope Ecology courses:

โ€ข Isotope foundations
โ€ข Study design
โ€ข Food webs
โ€ข Mixing models
โ€ข R workflows

๐Ÿ‘‰ www.atomicecology.com/courses ๐Ÿ‘‰
Stable Isotope Data Analysis Through R - Training from Atomic Ecology
A revised and improved version of my wildly successful stable isotope data analysis course is now available through Atomic Ecology. In this course I teach you howโ€ฆ
vimeo.com

shrewgod.bsky.social
Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social ยท Dec 1
They are, and always will be, the coolest mammals...
labdavalos.bsky.social Dรกvalos Lab @labdavalos.bsky.social ยท Dec 1
๐ŸงชNew #shrewcrew #OA @genomeresearch.bsky.social ๐Ÿ“ƒshows how tiny shrews remain active in โ„๏ธโ„๏ธ! As it gets ๐Ÿฅถtiny mammals hibernate or migrate, but not shrews. They shrink, thus reducing their overallโšก๏ธdemand ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ genome.cshlp.org/content/earl... 1/4
Summary of dynamic changes in shrew metabolism associated with seasonal size change, with proposed regulation of Dehnelโ€™s cycle. Depleted lipid metabolites in the blood and increased RNA expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism indicate rapid fat turnover in winter juveniles. FOXO signaling regulates gluconeogenesis, also upregulated in winter juveniles, providing another energy source. Both FOXO signaling and fatty acid metabolism promote changes in oxidative phosphorylation, as was found in both the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, and have large effects on mitochondrial respiration in the liver.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

jonesgareth.bsky.social
Gareth Jones @jonesgareth.bsky.social ยท Dec 1
Our new paper in PNAS, led by Megan Power: a large-scale study of telomere shortening in relation to reproductive costs in bats. Photo of one of the greater horseshoe bats we studied at Woodchester mansion by Hetty Metcalfe.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

labdavalos.bsky.social
Dรกvalos Lab @labdavalos.bsky.social ยท Dec 1
๐ŸงชNew #shrewcrew #OA @genomeresearch.bsky.social ๐Ÿ“ƒshows how tiny shrews remain active in โ„๏ธโ„๏ธ! As it gets ๐Ÿฅถtiny mammals hibernate or migrate, but not shrews. They shrink, thus reducing their overallโšก๏ธdemand ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ genome.cshlp.org/content/earl... 1/4
Summary of dynamic changes in shrew metabolism associated with seasonal size change, with proposed regulation of Dehnelโ€™s cycle. Depleted lipid metabolites in the blood and increased RNA expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism indicate rapid fat turnover in winter juveniles. FOXO signaling regulates gluconeogenesis, also upregulated in winter juveniles, providing another energy source. Both FOXO signaling and fatty acid metabolism promote changes in oxidative phosphorylation, as was found in both the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, and have large effects on mitochondrial respiration in the liver.

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

boron110.bsky.social
Sar Crespi @boron110.bsky.social ยท Nov 24
Dive deep into the early history of humans and dogs, this week on the @science.org podcast w/ Life Sciences Editor Sacha Vigniri ๐Ÿ•๐Ÿ•โ€๐Ÿฆบ๐Ÿฉ

www.science.org/content/podc...

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

drangelborja.bsky.social
Dr Angel Borja @drangelborja.bsky.social ยท Nov 22
Our new @azti.bsky.social paper on Advancing ecological #assessment: towards the integration of #eDNA #metabarcoding into an estuarine #fish index is out.
#Research
#MarineEcology
#GES4SEAS

Free download here:

authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Reposted by Robin J. Pakeman, Allan D. McDevitt

blackdogbirder.bsky.social
Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social ยท Nov 21
New #mammal conservation #PhD: "Understanding and Addressing Rural Hedgehog Population Declines".

@srucnews.bsky.social EastBio CASE project in partnership with (and co-supervised by) @ptes-org.bsky.social.

Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Act fast - applications close 15 December.
๐Ÿฆ”๐Ÿฆ”๐Ÿฆ”

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social ยท Nov 17
Ireland and Troy Parrott, why such a moment probably shouldnโ€™t have been possible, and why itโ€™s about so much more than a play-off

A moribund national team culture is alive again

www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
Why Troy Parrottโ€™s magic moment meant more than the World Cup play-offs to Ireland
The plight of Heimer Hallgrimssonโ€™s team after four games meant none of this should have possible for a country which lacks the talent pool of yesteryear
www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt, Catherine J. Frieman, Judith Jesch

anders-bergstrom.bsky.social
Anders Bergstrรถm @anders-bergstrom.bsky.social ยท Nov 17
A PhD project on historical genomics in the declining red squirrel in Britain is available in my group, through the @aries-dtp.bsky.social. Use historical genomes to track the effects of decline and genetic rescue in this charismatic species. aries-dtp.ac.uk/studentships...
Historical genomics of the declining red squirrel in Britain | Aries
Dr Anders Bergstrรถm, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia Professor Cock van Oosterhout, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Dr Selina Braceโ€ฆ
aries-dtp.ac.uk

shrewgod.bsky.social
Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social ยท Nov 3
Ah, the dreaded reviewer comments that are longer than the paper itself ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Reposted by Doerthe Tetzlaff, Allan D. McDevitt

florianaltermatt.bsky.social
Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social ยท Nov 1
Out now by Zhang et al:

Hyperspectral imagery ๐Ÿ›ฐ๏ธ, LiDAR point clouds ๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธ, and #eDNA ๐Ÿงฌ to assess land-water linkage of #biodiversity across #aquatic functional feeding groups.๐ŸŸ๐Ÿชฐ๐Ÿฆ ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŒ

zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

@eawag.bsky.social #UZH

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

marianilab.bsky.social
The Mariani Lab @marianilab.bsky.social ยท Oct 29
If there is anything that you always wanted to know about the #metaprobe but were afraid to ask,
Mark your diary: THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER!
More news soonโ€ฆ
#eDNA
@britishecologicalsociety.org
A metaprobe device, used to sample environmental DNA

shrewgod.bsky.social
Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social ยท Oct 25
Can't get an ewok out of my head looking at the face pattern on the left!

Reposted by Jonathan Lenoir, Allan D. McDevitt

animalecology.bsky.social
Journal of Animal Ecology @animalecology.bsky.social ยท Oct 23
๐ŸฆŒ Deer migration, deer density, tick distribution and incidence of a tick-borne zoonosis
โžก๏ธ buff.ly/4wXYf5c

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn, Marcel E. Visser, Patrick A. Jansen , and 6 more

sheldonbirds.bsky.social
Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social ยท Oct 20
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Examples of some recent papers from graduate students in my group - a full list of recent papers and preprints can be found here (https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&user=pTdxVdIAAAAJ) and profile of the group here: https://egioxford.web.ox.ac.uk/members The annual Wytham Field Team Photo! Celebrating a successful field season with great food & good company - May 2025 Front view of the Life & Mind Building, which opened in Oct 2025: The new home of Biology at Oxford

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

blackdogbirder.bsky.social
Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social ยท Oct 18
Five species from a #smallmammal #cameratrap at Portsoy, Aberdeenshire - a mouse, two voles and two shrew species - including Water Shrew ๐Ÿ˜€

#mammal #trailcamera @nesmammals.bsky.social

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

animalecology.bsky.social
Journal of Animal Ecology @animalecology.bsky.social ยท Oct 16
๐Ÿ‡ This study presents a methodological framework using camera trap and scat data to assess how components of prey availability influence prey selection. This is done in a way that can be applied across a variety of mammal species and ecological contextsโžก๏ธ buff.ly/7iWNO4X

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

huwgroucutt.bsky.social
Dr Huw Groucutt @huwgroucutt.bsky.social ยท Oct 16
Just out, our new paper "The state of the late Quaternary megafauna extinction debate...". We review the various perspectives, methods, and datasets which have been used to explore the extinction of many large animals. Was it humans, climate, or a mix of both? The debate continues!
Frontiers | The state of the late Quaternary megafauna extinction debate: a systematic review and analysis
With its origins in the late 18th and early 19th century, the question of what drove the late Quaternary megafauna extinctions remains one of scienceโ€™s most ...
www.frontiersin.org

Reposted by Allan D. McDevitt

drjosemfarinas.bsky.social
Jose M. Fariรฑas-Franco @drjosemfarinas.bsky.social ยท Oct 15
In this #newpaper I joined 24 other colleagues across 18 countries to say nuance is needed in licensing marine ecological restoration projects. We don't advocate deregulation but they can't be subjected to same licensing framework as extractive and commercial activities. www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Rethinking marine restoration permitting to urgently advance efforts
The decline in marine biodiversity necessitates the urgent restoration of our oceans; however, these efforts face unique technical, financial, and regulatory challenges. Unlike terrestrial work, metho...
www.cell.com

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Allan D. McDevitt

apanec-lab.bsky.social
Applied Animal Ecology @apanec-lab.bsky.social ยท Oct 15
๐ŸŒŠ New paper out!
Our latest study in Environmental DNA shows how fish daily vertical migrations affect eDNA in the ocean. ๐ŸŸ
For species like European hake, seafloor eDNA signals vary between morning and evening, showing that behavior must be considered in eDNA monitoring.
๐Ÿ‘‰ doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Environmental DNA for Aquatic Monitoring: Impact of Diel Vertical Migration
Environmental DNA concentrations are affected by animal behavior, such as diel vertical migration (DVM), which has repercussions for designing eDNA sampling strategies. The effect of DVM was identifi....
doi.org