Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
@daveyfwright.bsky.social
Paleontologist. Evolutionary biologist. Punk rock enthusiast. Assistant Professor & Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology. U Oklahoma/Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. Fossils, macroevolution, phylogenetic methods, biodiversity daveyfwright.wordpress.com
Pinned
Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data
Understanding the evolution and phylogenetic distribution of morphologic traits is fundamental to macroevolutionary research. Despite decades of major advances and key insights from molecular systema...
dx.doi.org
🚨New paper out in Palaeontology! Check it out if you're interested morphological evolution, fossil phylogenetics, and macroevolution 🧪
"Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data"
"Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data"
"OU undergraduate publishes new research on ancient fossils housed in the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History" @oupaleobiology.bsky.social 🧪
OU Undergraduate Publishes New Research on Ancient Fossils Housed in the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
In a rare achievement for an undergraduate student, Colby Higdon, a geology major on the paleontology track with the University of Oklahoma has published original paleontological research conducted at...
www.ou.edu
January 16, 2026 at 5:56 AM
"OU undergraduate publishes new research on ancient fossils housed in the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History" @oupaleobiology.bsky.social 🧪
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
I keep being told that I’m too young to have written as many books as I have meanwhile I fear I’ll never write all the books I want to.
January 16, 2026 at 5:04 AM
I keep being told that I’m too young to have written as many books as I have meanwhile I fear I’ll never write all the books I want to.
Somehow, this accomplishment has not succeeded in making my imminent teaching duties either less arduous or urgent
I didn't successfully update my course syllabus for teaching next week, but I did submit a very cool manuscript, so I'll count that as a win for today 😎
January 14, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Somehow, this accomplishment has not succeeded in making my imminent teaching duties either less arduous or urgent
I didn't successfully update my course syllabus for teaching next week, but I did submit a very cool manuscript, so I'll count that as a win for today 😎
January 14, 2026 at 12:42 AM
I didn't successfully update my course syllabus for teaching next week, but I did submit a very cool manuscript, so I'll count that as a win for today 😎
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
And if you thought invertebrates were better because of lack of dinobros...
January 13, 2026 at 4:55 PM
And if you thought invertebrates were better because of lack of dinobros...
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Never apologize for trilobites. We could use them way more rn.
January 13, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Never apologize for trilobites. We could use them way more rn.
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Why do women leave vertebrate palaeontology?
A review of vertebrate palaeontologists from 2018 found out, that the retention of men in the field, is almost at 100%, while for women, who already were under-represented, mere 30% stay in the field. It's not leaky pipeline, it's a running tap.
A review of vertebrate palaeontologists from 2018 found out, that the retention of men in the field, is almost at 100%, while for women, who already were under-represented, mere 30% stay in the field. It's not leaky pipeline, it's a running tap.
January 13, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Why do women leave vertebrate palaeontology?
A review of vertebrate palaeontologists from 2018 found out, that the retention of men in the field, is almost at 100%, while for women, who already were under-represented, mere 30% stay in the field. It's not leaky pipeline, it's a running tap.
A review of vertebrate palaeontologists from 2018 found out, that the retention of men in the field, is almost at 100%, while for women, who already were under-represented, mere 30% stay in the field. It's not leaky pipeline, it's a running tap.
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Evolution isn’t always forward-looking. Experiments show that an early, beneficial mutation can trap E. coli on a local fitness peak, preventing ecotype diversification in structured environments and highlighting the role of G×E interactions.
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
Historical contingency limits adaptive diversification in a spatially structured environment
Abstract. Understanding how genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions influence evolutionary trajectories and contribute to historical contingency is ke
academic.oup.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Evolution isn’t always forward-looking. Experiments show that an early, beneficial mutation can trap E. coli on a local fitness peak, preventing ecotype diversification in structured environments and highlighting the role of G×E interactions.
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Last week, during the lab meeting, we adopted a position statement (and lab rules) on the use of generative AI.
epic-biodiversity.org/generative-ai/
In a nutshell: "The use of GenAI is disallowed-by-default", but we also go to great length to justify why.
epic-biodiversity.org/generative-ai/
In a nutshell: "The use of GenAI is disallowed-by-default", but we also go to great length to justify why.
Use of generative artificial intelligence | ÉPICBiodiversity
epic-biodiversity.org
January 12, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Last week, during the lab meeting, we adopted a position statement (and lab rules) on the use of generative AI.
epic-biodiversity.org/generative-ai/
In a nutshell: "The use of GenAI is disallowed-by-default", but we also go to great length to justify why.
epic-biodiversity.org/generative-ai/
In a nutshell: "The use of GenAI is disallowed-by-default", but we also go to great length to justify why.
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
I'm so proud of @oupaleobiology.bsky.social folks doing great work and am looking forward to good things in 2026
A fossil crinoid from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (OU 99448) graces the cover of the new issue of the @paleosoc.bsky.social's Journal of Paleontology!
January 6, 2026 at 10:46 PM
I'm so proud of @oupaleobiology.bsky.social folks doing great work and am looking forward to good things in 2026
I had a wonderful time at the @systbiol.bsky.social meeting! How cool is this logo?
January 12, 2026 at 12:52 AM
I had a wonderful time at the @systbiol.bsky.social meeting! How cool is this logo?
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Paul isn’t making this mistake in isolation. Geologists everywhere are embracing critical minerals as the future of our discipline.
But we aren’t thinking critically about how our enthusiasm comes across in a highly polarized political world. Our professional choices have real world implications.
But we aren’t thinking critically about how our enthusiasm comes across in a highly polarized political world. Our professional choices have real world implications.
January 10, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Paul isn’t making this mistake in isolation. Geologists everywhere are embracing critical minerals as the future of our discipline.
But we aren’t thinking critically about how our enthusiasm comes across in a highly polarized political world. Our professional choices have real world implications.
But we aren’t thinking critically about how our enthusiasm comes across in a highly polarized political world. Our professional choices have real world implications.
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
I appreciate this from @us.theconversation.com by Jonathan Paul.
However, I think it’s making a mistake I commonly hear geologists make with regards to current events.
I have a hunch that this mistake is one of the reasons geology programs are struggling 🧵🛠️🪨🧪
theconversation.com/greenland-is...
However, I think it’s making a mistake I commonly hear geologists make with regards to current events.
I have a hunch that this mistake is one of the reasons geology programs are struggling 🧵🛠️🪨🧪
theconversation.com/greenland-is...
Greenland is rich in natural resources – a geologist explains why
Greenland’s rare earth element deposits may be among the world’s largest by volume.
theconversation.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:31 PM
I appreciate this from @us.theconversation.com by Jonathan Paul.
However, I think it’s making a mistake I commonly hear geologists make with regards to current events.
I have a hunch that this mistake is one of the reasons geology programs are struggling 🧵🛠️🪨🧪
theconversation.com/greenland-is...
However, I think it’s making a mistake I commonly hear geologists make with regards to current events.
I have a hunch that this mistake is one of the reasons geology programs are struggling 🧵🛠️🪨🧪
theconversation.com/greenland-is...
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Mass extinction triggered the early radiations of jawed vertebrates and their jawless relatives (gnathostomes) | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Mass extinction triggered the early radiations of jawed vertebrates and their jawless relatives (gnathostomes)
A mass extinction 445 million years ago triggered the rapid rise of armored and jawed vertebrates.
www.science.org
January 11, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Mass extinction triggered the early radiations of jawed vertebrates and their jawless relatives (gnathostomes) | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Although my passion for deep time biodiversity compels me to point out the notable absence of a paleontologist's perspective (!), the SSB panel discussion on The Future of Natural History Collections was * absolutely fantastic *. Natural history is a joy and museum collections are essential 👏👏👏
January 10, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Although my passion for deep time biodiversity compels me to point out the notable absence of a paleontologist's perspective (!), the SSB panel discussion on The Future of Natural History Collections was * absolutely fantastic *. Natural history is a joy and museum collections are essential 👏👏👏
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
I’m so proud of @lsu.bsky.social Museum of Natural Science and @tropicalbotany.bsky.social Herbarium folks who volunteered for these tours to over 100 folks - I’m sure they won’t forget what they saw behind the scenes. #museums #naturalhistory
#ssb2026
#ssb2026
Museum and Herbarium tours are now underway. Next bus will depart around 5:00 PM.
All tours should finish by 7:15 and Biodiversity Trivia Night will start at 7:30.
#SSB2026 @systbiol.bsky.social
All tours should finish by 7:15 and Biodiversity Trivia Night will start at 7:30.
#SSB2026 @systbiol.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 3:22 AM
I’m so proud of @lsu.bsky.social Museum of Natural Science and @tropicalbotany.bsky.social Herbarium folks who volunteered for these tours to over 100 folks - I’m sure they won’t forget what they saw behind the scenes. #museums #naturalhistory
#ssb2026
#ssb2026
Not sure if the year I wrote was a Freudian slip or a product of typing quickly with thumbs lol
Pleasantly surprised to see other paleontologists at the #SSB2016 meeting 😎
January 9, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Not sure if the year I wrote was a Freudian slip or a product of typing quickly with thumbs lol
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
Pretty amazing to have a discursive problem and then realize that random thing you read 5 years ago with no purpose is exactly what you needed
And I wish more people appreciated that success in research is partly about the way your random curiosity serves you later, in ways you cannot plan for
And I wish more people appreciated that success in research is partly about the way your random curiosity serves you later, in ways you cannot plan for
January 8, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Pretty amazing to have a discursive problem and then realize that random thing you read 5 years ago with no purpose is exactly what you needed
And I wish more people appreciated that success in research is partly about the way your random curiosity serves you later, in ways you cannot plan for
And I wish more people appreciated that success in research is partly about the way your random curiosity serves you later, in ways you cannot plan for
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
I think this is an incredibly important point
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
Last spring, I was asked to give carreer advice to grad students. And the one thing I told them was: our best skill is our ability to learn difficult things -- it's also the first skill you will lose unless you intentionally don't let yourselves go.
January 8, 2026 at 2:45 PM
I think this is an incredibly important point
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
It is very important for your mental health to spend at least 30 seconds watching baby emperor penguins
30 seconds of baby Emperor penguins
YouTube video by Laurent
www.youtube.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:14 AM
It is very important for your mental health to spend at least 30 seconds watching baby emperor penguins
the simple solution to brain rot: read books
January 7, 2026 at 5:48 PM
the simple solution to brain rot: read books
I'm so proud of @oupaleobiology.bsky.social folks doing great work and am looking forward to good things in 2026
A fossil crinoid from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (OU 99448) graces the cover of the new issue of the @paleosoc.bsky.social's Journal of Paleontology!
January 6, 2026 at 10:46 PM
I'm so proud of @oupaleobiology.bsky.social folks doing great work and am looking forward to good things in 2026
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
A fossil crinoid from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (OU 99448) graces the cover of the new issue of the @paleosoc.bsky.social's Journal of Paleontology!
January 6, 2026 at 10:25 PM
A fossil crinoid from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (OU 99448) graces the cover of the new issue of the @paleosoc.bsky.social's Journal of Paleontology!
Reposted by Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬
New paper in Paleobiology! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
“Super-progenitor” species and the distribution of sampled descendants | Paleobiology | Cambridge Core
“Super-progenitor” species and the distribution of sampled descendants
www.cambridge.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:08 PM
New paper in Paleobiology! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...