Anya Auerbach
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aauerbach.bsky.social
Anya Auerbach
@aauerbach.bsky.social
PhD candidate at UMN EEB studying Madagascar’s bird radiations | Loves birds, diversification, biodiversity, teaching evolution, and (natural) history museums | Queer. Organizer. Still a NYer at heart.
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
I forgot I got a still of proud mama harbor seal!!! #sealsky 🦑 🦭
February 1, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
I can’t stress this enough. The state of 4th Amendment law is that the cops can’t force you to type in a passcode but they can force you to swipe your finger or present your face. Never stop using passcodes/passwords to unlock your devices. And consider additional code to unlock Signal.
The FBI was able to access Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's Signal messages because she used Signal on her work laptop. The laptop accepted Touch ID for authentication, meaning the agents were allowed to require her to unlock it. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 1, 2026 at 12:08 AM
This is going to sound harsh, but the last few weeks in MN have shown us that this is basically default ICE behavior when confronted with a crowd.

Nobody should be deliberately bringing their children into proximity with ICE right now.

No matter what you do, it likely won’t be a peaceful protest.
Just experienced the most intense tear gassing of my life by federal officers outside the ICE facility in Portland where marchers gathered. There was no fast exit as they indiscriminately threw loads of gas and flash bangs. Children were in the crowd screaming. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
February 1, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Police departments in targeted deep-blue cities keep on saying they’ll try to stop ICE from breaking the law and then they do jack shit except occasionally arrest some protesters.

Its notable they’re even saying these things, but lets focus on what their actions have always and continue to tell us.
I’m *extremely concerned* about the way folks are reforming their image of the cops in light of everything that’s happening, even though we only have a handful examples of them disagreeing with ICE, while still being responsible themselves for the murders of Black and brown people across the country
February 1, 2026 at 3:53 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
This is Callie. She is trained to accurately detect bowel cancer in order to provide rapid diagnoses through non-invasive testing. Some might call it lab work, but Callie is actually a sprocker spaniel. 14/10 incredible job, Callie (IG: medicaldetectiondogs)
January 29, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Second PhD paper is out! We find: 1) aquatic and terrestrial salamanders have different limb bone adaptations, 2) complex life cycles promote different traits, 3) decoupling of external and internal bone traits increase diversity.

Thread (1/8) and FREE link below! 🦎🧪

doi.org/10.1111/joa....
Habitat and complex life cycles promote morphological diversity in salamander limb bones
We examined the external shape and cross-sectional morphology of limb bones in 133 salamander species spanning the ecological and phylogenetic breadth of Caudata. We find that adaptations for aquatic...
doi.org
January 28, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
"Return CBP to the border"
Now that you have seen what CBP does, why is it okay to have them on the US-Mexico or US-Canada border? Some people say they want "a controlled border" but at what cost to life?
January 27, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
This part. Celebrate every victory, large and small. Celebrate each other. Celebrate the love and solidarity that hold you together. Never stop doing this. It's fundamental.
I don't keep doomers in my feed but since apparently some folks do: "celebrate each and every win, loudly" is Organizing 101
January 27, 2026 at 4:22 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Seeing the NYT switch to active voice feels like watching a seal holding back the apocalypse crack
years and years of avoiding plain language and the active voice do make the choice to use it more impactful, I suppose
January 24, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Does everyone have a warm bed?
Does everyone have enough to eat?
Does everyone have a place to be safe?
Whose getting snatched in the night?

- Junauda Petrus, "Ritual on How to Love Minneapolis Again"
lims.minneapolismn.gov
January 24, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
One thing that irks me: people keep calling the folks on the streets in Minneapolis protestors. They are not generally there to protest, they are there to observe and document. This is the product of organizing and mutual aid. It is telling that these acts of citizenship are seen as protest!
January 24, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that federal immigration agents shot and killed a man on Nicollet Avenue Saturday morning, marking the third time an agent shot a civilian in the city this month.
BREAKING: Federal agents shoot, kill Minneapolis man on Nicollet
Federal immigration agents shot and killed a Minneapolis man on Nicollet Avenue Saturday morning.
sahanjournal.com
January 24, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Most popular chant of the day: “ICE OUT. FUCK ICE.”

As a friend said, it’s important to have a clear thesis statement.
January 24, 2026 at 2:13 AM
Most popular chant of the day: “ICE OUT. FUCK ICE.”

As a friend said, it’s important to have a clear thesis statement.
January 24, 2026 at 2:13 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
A coworker took this from her apartment. I haven't seen a crowd this size before. Maybe the first Women's March? But it was much much warmer that day. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA!
January 23, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
One court decision, two different headlines.

Guardian on the left, NY Times on the right. Which one more directly conveys information and the stakes to the reader?
January 22, 2026 at 3:30 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
"It's worth it to stand with our community in this strike," says one restaurant owner of the upcoming ICE Out! statewide shutdown. racketmn.com/fridays-are-...
Fridays Are a Tough Night for Restaurants to Close. Scores of Twin Cities Establishments Are Doing it Anyway. - Racket
‘It's worth it to stand with our community in this strike,’ says one restaurant owner of the upcoming ICE Out! statewide shutdown.
racketmn.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Special Feature: Can we predict the future of evolution? In this review, Jackson et al. dig into genomic analyses of change over time to determine if and when evolution can be forecast using genomic methods.

Read now ahead of print!
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
January 21, 2026 at 3:46 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
One of the coolest parts of tracking birds is getting to see those individuals in the wild again. Yesterday, near São Luis, Brazil, we saw a Whimbrel tagged in TX by Manomet and U. of OK in 2022! Since then it's been to the MacKenzie Delta & Southampton Island + Cape Cod, MA! Photos: Alan Kneidel
January 20, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Breaking: Three unions are calling on the University of Minnesota to shut down for Jan. 23. They include the Graduate Labor Union Electrical Workers Local 1105, AFSCME 3800, & Teamsters Local 320. Campus undergraduate organizations are joining the call. labornotes.org/2026/01/will...
January 20, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Reposted by Anya Auerbach
Today we shared that our delegation, alongside the St. Paul Regional Labor Fed., W. Area Labor Council, NE Area Labor Council and E Central ALC delegations, have joined in solidarity to endorse the unified statewide action on 1.23 - DAY OF TRUTH & FREEDOM ✊

Full release: minneapolisunions.org/press
PRESS
minneapolisunions.org
January 17, 2026 at 2:00 AM