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Richard Butler

Richard Butler

@richardjbutler.bsky.social

1.2K followers 280 following 280 posts

Dinosaur researcher, Professor of Palaeobiology & Director of Research, University of Birmingham. Mostly in meetings; would rather be on fieldwork. Current projects in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇲🇦 🇷🇸 🇰🇬 🇺🇸 🇷🇴 🇭🇺

Richard James Butler is a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Birmingham, where he holds the title of professor of palaeobiology. His research focuses on ornithischian dinosaur evolution, dinosaur origins, and fossil tetrapod macroevolution. .. more

Environmental science 39%

Geology 28%

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Paul Barrett @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social · 5d

Please @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social is there a chance you could schedule the annual business meeting when people outside the Americas could attend at a reasonable time? Scheduling at 1 pm ET would allow west coasters to attend in business hours & allow more easterly & westerly members to attend

Reposted by Per Ahlberg

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 6d

Leicester has long been one of the leading universities nationally for palaeontology & geology - this would be a terrible loss, as would the loss of other subjects such as modern languages:

www.change.org/p/save-geolo...

Sign the Petition

Save Geology at the University of Leicester

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 6d

Here's my #2025SVP photo album. It starts with @fossilrob.bsky.social giving his talk, and an amazing photo of him and @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social from c. 2009 when he first started the work (1/n)

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Oxford University Museum of Natural History @morethanadodo.bsky.social · 7d

We asked @dremmanicholls.bsky.social what exactly needs to happen for dinosaur footprints to be preserved like those found in Oxfordshire.

The answer is such a specific set of circumstances you'll be amazed that any have been found at all...

Dr Emma Nicholls standing on a saurapod trackway, large roundish footprints embedded into white limestone, pointing to the long trackways continuing on behind her

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 7d

Geology and palaeobiology at the University of Leicester are under threat, with at least 14 staff expected to be made redundant. Support them, their postdocs, and their students by signing this petition: c.org/SK8Xm8dhqK

Sign the Petition

Save Geology at the University of Leicester

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Jordan Bestwick @jordanbestwick1.bsky.social · 7d

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

Save Geology at the University of Leicester

Can you spare a minute to help this campaign?

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 7d

The end of the final event of #2025SVP - it's been an amazing experience hosting it, thanks so much to everyone involved in helping make it happen. Back to the day job tomorrow.

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 7d

It's the end of the #2025SVP UK dinos field trip. We finished with a visit to Dewars Farm dinosaur track site (muddy), and the Oxford Uni Museum, where we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Buckland archives and collections. Home for sleep...

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 7d

It's the end of the #2025SVP UK dinos field trip. We finished with a visit to Dewars Farm dinosaur track site (muddy), and the Oxford Uni Museum, where we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Buckland archives and collections. Home for sleep...

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Steve Brusatte @stevebrusatte.bsky.social · 8d

What a great time at this year’s @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social meeting in Birmingham!

Presenting a talk on mammals, doing the conference-opening Walking With Dinosaurs and the schools events, helming the scicomm table, beaming with pride as my students presented their work, honoring Mark & Dugie.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

It’s not a flawless criterion.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

Is the Isle of Wight in the south? 🤔 #SusieGeography

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 8d

Gorgeous day on the Isle of Wight looking at footprints, prospecting, and examining some previously discovered fossils on our post- #2025SVP UK dinos fieldtrip. I told you it was sunnier down south... Big thanks @valdosaurus.bsky.social

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

This would put poster presenters in direct competition those organising the auction. Also, many of us duck out for other social events from around 7 onwards & would not attend later poster sessions.

Reposted by Richard J. Butler, John R. Hutchinson

Darren Naish @tetzoo.bsky.social · 9d

Have learnt from Andrea Cau that French palaeontologist Philippe Taquet died yesterday, aged 85. Taquet published a substantial amount on north African and French #dinosaurs, including Ouranosaurus, spinosaurids, the dromaeosaurid Pyroraptor and much more.

Philippe Taquet portrait, by Espace des Sciences, CC BY-SA 2.0 (from wikipedia).

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Professor John R. Hutchinson @johnrhutchinson.bsky.social · 9d

#CORDIScovery podcast about my #DAWNDINOS Triassic-Jurassic archosaur locomotor biomechanics project, @davfoff.bsky.social's #ECODIV mass extinction/diversity/ecosystems project, Prof. Sara Varela's #MAPAS climate/biogeography/macroevolution project. Nice synergy! cordis.europa.eu/article/id/4...

When it comes to dinosaurs, was Orwell right?

In his novel Animal Farm, Orwell’s character claims: “Four legs good, two legs bad.” Would the tyrannosaurs agree? Or did...

cordis.europa.eu

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 9d

Meanwhile, @tweetisaurus.bsky.social and myself have taken another group of delegates for the first day of a three-day dinosaurs and history focused trip, starting with the Natural History Museum & Charles Darwin’s home, Down House #2025SVP

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 9d

#2025SVP might be over for most delegates, but Ben Igielman led a large group today to Triassic fossil localities in South Wales and Gloucestershire.

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Mark Witton @markwitton.bsky.social · 10d

Starting the journey home from #2025SVP. I didn't leave the conference empty handed...

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

The DJ for last night’s #2025SVP after party was my barber and friend, Tom (who is a terrific professional DJ). He found it quite the experience.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

Blast from the past at the #2025SVP dinner with some old research group members: @emmadnn.bsky.social Juan Benito, Dan Cashmore & Martin Ezcurra.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

Thanks so much to all the #2025SVP host committee members & student volunteers & huge thanks to SVP & the community for joining us in Birmingham! We’re super happy with how it turned out. Time now to run a three-day field trip!

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Ashley Hall @ladynaturalist.bsky.social · 10d

Every person in this room studies an animal with a backbone - they're all paleontologists 🙌🦖🐟🐢🐦‍⬛🦎⛏️!

Thanks to the organizers of #2025SVP for another great Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in Birmingham 🇬🇧!

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Journal of Systematic Palaeontology @journalsystpal.bsky.social · 11d

For the 85th SVP Meeting 2025, we've assembled a collection of landmark vertebrate palaeontology papers.
Next: The phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of armoured dinosaurs (Ornithischia). Raven 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2023) buff.ly/aEn5huc @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social @tweetisaurus.bsky.social

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 11d

Rob is recording #FossilFiles episodes at #2025SVP! Listen to his thoughts and some of the superstars of the conference on libsyn or wherever you get your podcasts! @thefossilfiles.bsky.social fossils.libsyn.com/nanotyrannus...

The Fossil Files: Nanotyrannus and vertebrate origins: day 1 at the society of vertebrate paleontology

The Fossils Files are on Tour! Susie and Rob are in Birmingham for the massive Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference which has made a rare trip to Europe. We will be meeting and chatting with ...

fossils.libsyn.com

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Marc Jones @marcehjones.bsky.social · 11d

Luke Meade presenting on an exceptionally preserved eutriconodont mammal from the Middle Jurassic Kilmaluag Formation of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

#2025SVP
#SVP2025

Luke on stage in Meeting Room Hall 1 with his title slide.

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 11d

Challenging weather & transport conditions for our evening authors’ event, but wonderful to hear Tom Holland in conversation with @elsa-panciroli.bsky.social @endofthepier.bsky.social & @tjdhalliday.bsky.social #2025SVP

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 11d

#2025SVP A fair attendence for the author's panel on an evening which even the British are saying has "bad weather"

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 12d

If you are coming to the #2025SVP authors’ event tonight please check your email for details of the venue, which is the Aston Webb building of the University of Birmingham starting at 7pm.

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 12d

Massive congratulations to my buddy Aubrey Roberts for her work that has made the front cover of Science today! Aubrey talked about it this morning at #2025SVP

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 12d

Enjoying the Prolacerta symposium this morning #2025SVP