Bruce Stagg Martin
@bstaggmartin.bsky.social
Phylogenetics/comparative methods geek working as postdoctoral researcher at University of Georgia in Leebens-Mack lab. Currently an NSF PRFB fellow (plant genomes program) trying to figure out what the deal is with eucalypt trees. Opinions = my own
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
I would like to make sure I thank my committee @evovert.bsky.social @pseudacris.bsky.social Michelle Stocker and Sterling Nesbitt for their encouragement and support to take on such an enormous project in my PhD. Wasila Dahdul was also extremely generous in helping make this project a reality.
Very excited to share my exploration of the phylogenetics of early ray-finned fishes, out today in the Anatomical Record! Really busy day but I’ll have more info shortly.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
An ontological morphological phylogenetic framework for living and extinct ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii)
The ray-finned fishes include one out of every two species of living vertebrates on Earth and have an abundant fossil record stretching 380 million years into the past. The division of systematic kno...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I would like to make sure I thank my committee @evovert.bsky.social @pseudacris.bsky.social Michelle Stocker and Sterling Nesbitt for their encouragement and support to take on such an enormous project in my PhD. Wasila Dahdul was also extremely generous in helping make this project a reality.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Cool paper on rate-time scaling: it’s not just an artifact! We need to re-think underlying evolutionary processes generating (fossil) phenotypic changes! By @vildebruhn.bsky.social @kjetillsj.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Cool paper on rate-time scaling: it’s not just an artifact! We need to re-think underlying evolutionary processes generating (fossil) phenotypic changes! By @vildebruhn.bsky.social @kjetillsj.bsky.social
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Excuse me wtf?
Senate update: Republicans are now trying to sneak a backdoor national abortion ban into their government funding bill. Republicans will stop at nothing to control women's health care decisions.
November 8, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Excuse me wtf?
Always bears repeating. PCA is of course incredibly useful, but always interpret with caution!!!
Oops…“Principal components (PC) axes
identified by a PCA are not necessarily the most informative biologically. Nevertheless, paleoanthropologists frequently interpret proximity in PC space as indicative of morphological and thus evolutionary affinity or relatedness”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
identified by a PCA are not necessarily the most informative biologically. Nevertheless, paleoanthropologists frequently interpret proximity in PC space as indicative of morphological and thus evolutionary affinity or relatedness”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Always bears repeating. PCA is of course incredibly useful, but always interpret with caution!!!
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
notice the general mood of the timeline? how everyone is in a good mood and there’s a lot less misery and dooming? how there’s a lot of “we’re going to beat these assholes”?
anyway that’s why these events are important
anyway that’s why these events are important
October 18, 2025 at 6:54 PM
notice the general mood of the timeline? how everyone is in a good mood and there’s a lot less misery and dooming? how there’s a lot of “we’re going to beat these assholes”?
anyway that’s why these events are important
anyway that’s why these events are important
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Excited to share our new paper where we find that the rise, decline and fall of clades is not explained by the usual suspects (diversity-dependence, ecological opportunities) but rather by species' insidious loss of macroevolutionary fitness: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/3
Loss of macroevolutionary species fitness explains the rise and fall of clades - Nature Ecology & Evolution
The interplay between speciation and extinction rates shapes clade diversity dynamics. Using a novel phylogenetic model that includes living and fossil lineages, the authors estimate speciation and ex...
www.nature.com
October 17, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Excited to share our new paper where we find that the rise, decline and fall of clades is not explained by the usual suspects (diversity-dependence, ecological opportunities) but rather by species' insidious loss of macroevolutionary fitness: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/3
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Have been a bit silent recently as I've been working on this new version of our preprint! In this study, we present a generalizable evo-devo model to explore principles of evolutionary innovations. A thread 🧵 ahead about this, and what's new... 1/11
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A simple model reveals why complex evolutionary innovations follow predictable paths
Determining the principles underlying the origin of novel characters has been a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. Yet, key mechanisms remain poorly understood, hindered by the lack of a genera...
www.biorxiv.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Have been a bit silent recently as I've been working on this new version of our preprint! In this study, we present a generalizable evo-devo model to explore principles of evolutionary innovations. A thread 🧵 ahead about this, and what's new... 1/11
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
We're hiring! Please spread the word. We have an opening for an Assistant Professor in Plant Synthetic Biology for Strategic Resources Research. See ad for details – and apply to join us here in Athens, GA! 🪴 #PlantBiology #SyntheticBiology #PlantScience #AcademicJobs #UGA
October 16, 2025 at 5:35 PM
We're hiring! Please spread the word. We have an opening for an Assistant Professor in Plant Synthetic Biology for Strategic Resources Research. See ad for details – and apply to join us here in Athens, GA! 🪴 #PlantBiology #SyntheticBiology #PlantScience #AcademicJobs #UGA
Cockroaches deserve so much more love than they get. I say that even after dealing with pestiferous ones since moving to Georgia. It's a whole wide order with thousands of beautiful species that never infest homes.
Yes, I will die on this hill.
Yes, I will die on this hill.
WE GOT COCKROACHES.
Learn to love them -- I promise -- with #Blattodeologist Dr. Dominic Evangelista.
STUNNING emerald green ones, glowing roaches, teeny ones that ride flying ants, clean-up helpers, and medical mysteries.
They just want love & garbage. 🖤
www.alieward.com/ologies/blat...
Learn to love them -- I promise -- with #Blattodeologist Dr. Dominic Evangelista.
STUNNING emerald green ones, glowing roaches, teeny ones that ride flying ants, clean-up helpers, and medical mysteries.
They just want love & garbage. 🖤
www.alieward.com/ologies/blat...
Blattodeology (YES, COCKROACHES) with Dr. Dominic Evangelista — alie ward
Dazzling colors. Remote habitats. Gentle parenting. Fantastic genitalia. And yeah, swimming through sewers to surprise you. It’s cockroaches and I promise you will find something to love about them in...
www.alieward.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Cockroaches deserve so much more love than they get. I say that even after dealing with pestiferous ones since moving to Georgia. It's a whole wide order with thousands of beautiful species that never infest homes.
Yes, I will die on this hill.
Yes, I will die on this hill.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
How anyone can watch footage from Palestine without bursting into tears, I will never know.
October 13, 2025 at 9:47 PM
How anyone can watch footage from Palestine without bursting into tears, I will never know.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Now available in Systematic Biology, a new paper (and R package) in which we outline an approach to account for non-independence in comparative analyses of lineage-pair traits academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...
The Comparative Analysis of Lineage-Pair Traits
Abstract. For many questions in ecology and evolution, the most relevant data to consider are attributes of lineage pairs. Comparative tests for causal rel
academic.oup.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Now available in Systematic Biology, a new paper (and R package) in which we outline an approach to account for non-independence in comparative analyses of lineage-pair traits academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
More on rate-scaling in phenotypic evolution, pointing toward biological explanations, from Brune Kinneberg & Voje. Lots of debate about this pattern, but comes down to how we define "noise" vs. "biology" as represented in models. Important philosophical discussion.
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Rate-time scaling in phenotypic evolution: Limitations of current models in capturing temporal dynamics
Abstract. Evolutionary rates correlate negatively with time, which makes it complicated to compare rates across lineages that have diversified on different
academic.oup.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:06 PM
More on rate-scaling in phenotypic evolution, pointing toward biological explanations, from Brune Kinneberg & Voje. Lots of debate about this pattern, but comes down to how we define "noise" vs. "biology" as represented in models. Important philosophical discussion.
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Glad to see a study like this! I feel like we've been wondering about this for years haha The results don't really surprise me...but it'd be a cool to see a version with trait evolution dynamics.
Tip rate estimates can predict future diversification, but are unreliable and context dependent https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.06.680809v1
October 7, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Glad to see a study like this! I feel like we've been wondering about this for years haha The results don't really surprise me...but it'd be a cool to see a version with trait evolution dynamics.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Master's degree position at Towson University with Daniel Caetano on macroevolutionary and phylogenetic comparative methods! Daniel is an awesome human and a great mentor, share with your students!
caetanods.weebly.com/join-the-lab...
caetanods.weebly.com/join-the-lab...
Join the lab
The Caetano lab at Towson University (Maryland, USA) is seeking a Master's degree student to start in Fall 2026. A Research Assistant (RA) position is available to the student during part (or all) of....
caetanods.weebly.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Master's degree position at Towson University with Daniel Caetano on macroevolutionary and phylogenetic comparative methods! Daniel is an awesome human and a great mentor, share with your students!
caetanods.weebly.com/join-the-lab...
caetanods.weebly.com/join-the-lab...
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were
September 29, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
2nd year grad students are no longer eligible to apply. Currently enrolled grad students must be in their first year, whether in a MS, BS-MS, or Ph.D.
September 26, 2025 at 4:44 PM
2nd year grad students are no longer eligible to apply. Currently enrolled grad students must be in their first year, whether in a MS, BS-MS, or Ph.D.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Today, the UN officially designated Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide.
As a party to the Genocide Convention, the U.S. has a legal obligation to obey our own laws, stop weapons sales to Israel, and demand a permanent ceasefire.
End the genocide. Ceasefire now.
As a party to the Genocide Convention, the U.S. has a legal obligation to obey our own laws, stop weapons sales to Israel, and demand a permanent ceasefire.
End the genocide. Ceasefire now.
September 16, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Today, the UN officially designated Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide.
As a party to the Genocide Convention, the U.S. has a legal obligation to obey our own laws, stop weapons sales to Israel, and demand a permanent ceasefire.
End the genocide. Ceasefire now.
As a party to the Genocide Convention, the U.S. has a legal obligation to obey our own laws, stop weapons sales to Israel, and demand a permanent ceasefire.
End the genocide. Ceasefire now.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
When I was placed on the Professor Watchlist in 2021, people sent death threats about my children. I had security officers monitor my 8yo at school.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
September 15, 2025 at 8:25 PM
When I was placed on the Professor Watchlist in 2021, people sent death threats about my children. I had security officers monitor my 8yo at school.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
I am recruiting a PhD student this application cycle to explore questions on the evolution of morphological variation and phylogenetics. I'm especially seeking folks interested in fossil marine inverts. Please reach out to me if interested! Portal opens Nov. 1 eeb.utoronto.ca/education/gr...
Admissions - Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Resources For More Information Please contact: [email protected]
eeb.utoronto.ca
September 12, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I am recruiting a PhD student this application cycle to explore questions on the evolution of morphological variation and phylogenetics. I'm especially seeking folks interested in fossil marine inverts. Please reach out to me if interested! Portal opens Nov. 1 eeb.utoronto.ca/education/gr...
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Hybridization and introgression are major evolutionary processes. Since the 1940s, the prevailing view has been that they shape plants far more than animals. In our new study (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
), we find the opposite: animals exchange genes more, and for longer, than plants
), we find the opposite: animals exchange genes more, and for longer, than plants
September 12, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Hybridization and introgression are major evolutionary processes. Since the 1940s, the prevailing view has been that they shape plants far more than animals. In our new study (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
), we find the opposite: animals exchange genes more, and for longer, than plants
), we find the opposite: animals exchange genes more, and for longer, than plants
Well that seems useful!
super excited to share this big project with @daeaton.bsky.social out now in Systematic Biology! We derived distributions for -- given an arbitrary species tree model -- how far you have to move along a genome before observing a change in the underlying genealogy: doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Estimating waiting distances between genealogy changes under a Multi-Species Extension of the Sequentially Markov Coalescent
Abstract. Genomes are composed of a mosaic of segments inherited from different ancestors, each separated by past recombination events. Consequently, genea
doi.org
September 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Well that seems useful!
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Analyses of a new genomes for garden asparagus and a Mediterranean basin congener reveal independent origins of dioecy and XY sex chromosomes. The work led by Phil Bentz @pbentz.bsky.social finds no overlap in the two Y-linked sex-determination genes - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... .
Two independent origins of XY sex chromosomes in Asparagus
The relatively young and repeated evolutionary origins of dioecy (separate sexes) in flowering plants enable investigation of molecular dynamics occurring at the earliest stages of sex chromosome evol...
www.biorxiv.org
September 11, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Analyses of a new genomes for garden asparagus and a Mediterranean basin congener reveal independent origins of dioecy and XY sex chromosomes. The work led by Phil Bentz @pbentz.bsky.social finds no overlap in the two Y-linked sex-determination genes - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... .
Well that's some of the coolest wildlife footage I've seen in a while
September 8, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Well that's some of the coolest wildlife footage I've seen in a while
Reposted by Bruce Stagg Martin
Excited to share a new paper! "Sorting of ancestral polymorphism and its impact on morphological phylogenetics and macroevolution". Part of some work I've been doing on modelling the evolution of polymorphic traits in fossil echinoderms.
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Sorting of ancestral polymorphism and its impact on morphological phylogenetics and macroevolution
Abstract. Intraspecific phenotypic variation provides the basic substrate upon which the evolutionary processes that give rise to morphological innovation,
academic.oup.com
September 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Excited to share a new paper! "Sorting of ancestral polymorphism and its impact on morphological phylogenetics and macroevolution". Part of some work I've been doing on modelling the evolution of polymorphic traits in fossil echinoderms.
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...